It's Not Fair
by Jade4
Summary: Sequel of sorts to Jareth's Payback. What starts out as Jareth getting even with a few of his listians, turns into something darker than even he could imagine. R&R UGL fic.
1. Default Chapter

The only sound heard in the dark room was the light breathing of the Goblin King. A smile  
silently stole across his face as he watched his listians with the utmost sneakiness. "So, they're  
considering a gathering?" he said softly, his voice echoing off the walls. Sitting on the edge of his  
throne, Jareth held the crystal elegantly upon his slender fingers.   
  
"Hmmm...." he muttered as his smile widened, "this could be rather fun. I love to torment them.   
After all, they deserve it," he added, flicking the crystal into the air.   
  
As he strode across the throne room, he thought of how he couldn't wait until they were all  
together again. Considering their last gathering, he was certain that he could crack them easily.   
All it would take was a little nudge in the right direction and they would do anything he asked.   
Jareth couldn't rid himself of the wicked smile upon his face as he contemplated how they would  
bend to his will.  
  
Those wicked wenches - he stopped himself as he thought of how Jade would object to such a  
term and mentally corrected himself- horrid listians of his would soon be calling for his aid.   
  
"Yes, this will be a time they will not likely forget," he chuckled, knowing that Essy had picked a  
superb place to hold the get-together. Another wicked smile crossed his face before he  
disappeared into the darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I can't believe I'm here," Dawn said, a smile crossing her face. She'd not been to one of these  
before, and yet she couldn't stop smiling. "Who else is here?"  
  
"Let's see. . ." Smut Queen started. A regular of these outings' she would make Dawn feel right  
at ease with the rest of the weirdos. "That's Easy over there with Gem and Spidey," she pointed  
then directed her attention in the other direction. "That's Leelee talking with Selah, Jade, Paola  
and Kara. Well lookie there, here comes Mairead talking up a storm with the rest of em. That's  
Allie, the baby of the list," she grinned, making sure to point out the right people. All this time  
and Dawn's never met any of them. Unbelievable, she thought.   
  
"Is that Dee?" Dawn asked, remembering a picture she had seen.   
  
"Yup," SQ replied, noticing someone new. "That's Christy there, which reminds me, she still  
owes me some more of Labyride'." SQ stated, excusing herself and heading straight for Christy.   
  
Dawn stood there looking at them. Who would have thought they would be here now? Essy, of  
course, with all her convention planning, but Dawn was just happy to be there. Watching them  
carefully, she didn't notice the figure sneaking up behind her.   
  
Hands reached out gingerly to squeeze Dawn's sides making her jump and squeal only to spin  
around quickly. A pair of brown eyes stared back, an amused grin lighting the face of Dawn's  
attacker.   
  
"You've got to be Dawn," she stated, looking her up and down. "I recognize you from your  
pictures. It's me. . .Poledra!" she cackled, glancing around to see who else made it.   
  
Dawn smiled, breaking out into laughter as well. Before she could blink, the Dominatrix of Death  
pulled her along toward the rest of the group. Once there, she couldn't get a word in edgewise as  
Spidey, Dee, Smut Queen and Mairead talked up a storm.  
  
"Hiya," a new voice said causing her to glance to her left to see a young brunette looking back.   
"Glad yousa could make it!" she laughed.   
  
"You've got to be Selah," Dawn mentioned, smiling.  
  
"Yes, that's Selah," came the reply. "Hi."  
  
"Jade!" another called as a thin brunette came running up, red highlights shining in the sunlight. A  
smile crossed her face. "It's about time you showed up. I've been waiting and for me that's not an  
easy thing to do. I'm so knackered."  
  
"Hey Gemma," Jade laughed.   
  
"Gems, good to see you again," Kara stated, walking up to the group.   
  
Gemma looked to the newer arrival. "Wow! I'm gobsmacked! Hiya, Dawn baby... glad you  
made it!" she piped out, looking over her shoulder. "Don't look now, but I think Easy's up to no  
good."  
  
As the gazes all turned on Essy, their mouths dropped open in shock as she pulled out her  
crossbow. A wicked smile crossing her face, she slowly loaded it.   
  
"I don't think this is a good idea, Essy," Leelee called out from where she had been tied to a tree.   
"I mean, come on. What if you miss?" her voice quivered.   
  
"Sith do not miss, it's in the handbook," Essy replied, studying her target closely. "Besides, if  
William Tell could do it, I can do it better!" she remarked, raising the bow and taking aim.   
  
"Essy! NO!!" Selah shouted, running toward her.   
  
Essy's attention snapped the instant Selah screamed. Letting the crossbow fire without thinking,  
the arrow shot through the air toward Leelee who screamed I am not an Addams!' and closed her  
eyes.  
  
Nothing happened.   
  
"Holy shit!" SQ said, not sure what just took place, but from the look of it, she didn't think she  
wanted to know.   
  
Leelee let her breath out and sneaked an eye open to see the tip of the arrow right in front of her  
nose. Attached to that arrow was a hand. . . and not just any hand.   
  
Jareth looked at Leelee then glanced at Essy. Pulling the arrow away, he shook his head. "Can't I  
trust you alone for five minutes, children?"  
  
"That was more than five minutes, Jareth. She nearly killed me!" Leelee screamed, glaring back at  
Essy.   
  
"Just honing your rage, apprentice," Essy remarked quickly.  
  
Jareth grabbed the back of Leelee's pants, holding her in place long enough for her anger to shift  
elsewhere. A smack upside the head and a few choice words later, Jareth released her without  
hesitation. "I was only trying to help, you fiend."  
  
Leelee turned around and glared back at him. "Excuse me?" she uttered, raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Well, you can't kill her yet, Lisa," Jareth muttered, sidling up next to her. "Don't you think it  
would be much more fun to torment her while she sleeps?"  
  
Giving Essy a quick glance, she grinned wickedly. "Good idea. I'll kill her later."  
  
"What?" Essy shrugged, ignoring Leelee's last comment.   
  
"Geez, Easy, how did you find this place?"   
  
"DCME Joyride!" Essy retaliated.  
  
Jade shook her head with a smile. "I live to torment."  
  
"She's right, Ess. This is one spooky-ass house," SQ said, looking over the premises.   
  
"It's a hotel, Lisa. Deal with it and thank me for the great rates," Essy shot back with a grin. She  
could always find a bargain anywhere.   
  
Jareth grinned, just waiting for the moment they realized just how wrong Essy could be.   
Movement caught his eye and he glanced to his right to see the owners of the establishment  
walking up. My, don't they look like walking corpses?', he thought to himself. With a hushed  
snicker, Jareth stepped back and watched with eager anticipation.   
  
"Hello," a deep voice echoed through the air, causing all the UGLies to turn and look at the man.   
"Welcome to my humble establishment. I trust you will be well taken care of," he mentioned,  
snapping his fingers.  
  
Within seconds, their luggage was snapped up by the employees and carried off toward the hotel.   
After one last look, the man disappeared without another word.   
  
"Creepy," Dee mentioned.   
  
"He won't win any congeniality awards," Kara replied.  
  
"Ess, are you sure about this place?" Selah asked, glancing around carefully.   
  
"Will you just relax?" Essy uttered.   
  
"When you find out just what Lurch there is up to, maybe!" Selah shot back.  
  
Jade and Kara shrugged with a smile. Some things never change. Grabbing Gemma's arm, they  
tugged her off toward the hotel, hoping the others would stop their nonsense and just enjoy the  
time they had.   
  
"Hello?" Kara called, walking in through the main door with Jade and Gemma close behind.  
  
"Whoa, would you look at this place?" Gemma uttered, her eyes growing wide at what she saw.   
With a small smile, one word escaped her lips. "Wicked."   
  
"Cool as frostbite," Jade added, noting the architecture and admiring the hand carved fixtures that  
lined the wall adding to the decor.   
  
"What are you guys doing?" Dee asked, crashing through the door with the rest of them.   
  
"And you thought it was creepy on the outside," Leelee laughed, poking SQ in the ribs.   
  
"Your rooms are ready. Perhaps you would like to retire?" the man asked, creeping out from the  
shadows behind the counter.   
  
"You have got to stop sneaking around like that!" Spidey shouted, not pleased with the prospect  
the hotel held. At least they couldn't get into any trouble, right?  
  
"We shall see," the man replied softly, making Spidey look back at him with an expression of  
shock. He had a feeling this would be too easy to scare these fools. They had already proven to  
be foolhardy and quick to jump at shadows.   
  
"What?" Spidey asked, not sure of what to make of this strange man. His pale features were the  
only striking presence that seemed to call out to every danger sense she had in her body. Tensing  
at the thought that maybe he was so pale because he was one of the undead, she smirked, trying  
to shake off the idea.   
  
"Sign here and I'll give you your room keys," he replied in a monotone voice that sent chills down  
any sane person's spine. "Your luggage should already be in your rooms. Please take care, and  
make sure that you and your roommate get along. We here at The Darkened Door feel that the  
only boarder is a happy one."  
  
"Save us the speech, okay, pops?" Dee mentioned, snatching up the key. "Thanks. Who am I  
stuck with?" she asked, glancing down at the book. A smile crossed her face. "Looks like it's you  
and me, Daisy."  
  
"Excuse me, miss," the man said, clearing his throat. "There are three to a room. You will also  
be boarding with. . ." he started, looking down through his book. "Fairy?" he said in a  
questioning tone.   
  
"Whoo hoo, Allie! Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Dee exclaimed, heading for the  
stairs.   
  
Gemma grabbed up a key and looked down at the names beside hers. "Um, sir... I don't mean to  
be mardy, but can we do an iccle bit of arranging here?" she muttered, grabbing a pencil and  
taking it into her own hands to erase the names and rewrite them. "That's better." she smiled.   
  
"You can't do that Germ," Essy said quickly, looking to see what Gemma was up to.   
  
"Why? You just stick with Leelee and Spidey. And I'll be safer than you in this wicked reject of  
spooky houses." Gemma stated, heading for the stairs pitying anyone that didn't realize what they  
were in for. She had noted the looks exchanged between the resident spooks, and she wasn't at  
all pleased. At least this way, she was sure to survive long past the others. "Come on you two,  
pick up the pace."  
  
"And to think she was such an inspirational muse," Jade muttered.  
  
"You could always trade her in," Kara replied, as they headed toward the stairs.   
  
"Germ! You coward!" Essy shouted, holding her crossbow up in the air in defiance.   
  
"Give me that!" Jareth growled, yanking the crossbow from her hands. "I think you've caused  
enough damage with this for one day. You'll get it back when you return home. Until then, it's  
mine."  
  
"You shouldn't threaten a Sith Lord, Jareth. Not only is it bad form, but you might just wake up  
bald one morning," Essy sneered, raising a finger in mock thought. "Now then, where did I leave  
that shaver?" she asked randomly, then made a buzzing sound that gave Jareth the shivers.   
  
"You wouldn't dare?" he growled, standing up to her.  
  
"Wouldn't I? Come on, Jareth, you know me well enough by now. Am I serious?" she asked,  
looking as innocent as a five year old, just before they wreak havoc on the unsuspecting victim.   
  
Jareth walked away from her, not sure if he should take her threat to heart or just blow it off.   
Soon, the rest of the UGLies were signed in and handed keys. Going off to their respective  
rooms, Jareth smiled, glancing over at the man behind the counter. There was something odd  
about him, but Jareth just couldn't place it. Shrugging, he let it go and went on about his  
business.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"What do you want to do first? Scout or just kick back and relax?" Kara asked, setting her  
suitcase on the floor at the foot of her bed.   
  
Jade tossed her suitcase on her bed, turning around toward Kara. Shaking her head, she smiled.   
"I say scout it out," she giggled.   
  
"I knew you'd say that," Kara laughed. "You coming with us, Gems?"   
  
"Nah, not this time. I'm knackered. Think I'll settle in for some sleep. Just for the record, I think  
you two are bleedin' nuts," she laughed, tossing her shoes to the floor without a second thought.   
  
"Aw, gee, you found us out," Kara stated seriously, then broke into laughter. "Sleep well, Gems,  
we'll see you in the morning."  
  
"Nan night, Gemmie," Jade added.   
  
"Nan night!" Gemma smiled, pulling the covers over her and trying to block out the last shred of  
light that happened in through the blinds once the lights were turned off.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Essy walked through the door with an appraising eye. Not too bad, she thought as she took in the  
beds that were along the far wall. Walking across the room, she raised her bag up and started to  
set it down on the bed.   
  
Spidey immediately jumped in her way, pouncing on the bed with a grin. "You snooze, you lose,  
Ess," she laughed, pulling the covers up around her like a cape. "Look! I'm Jaden's clone!"  
  
"Jaden suddenly got unattractive then," Essy stated, examining her nails, ducking Spidey's arm to  
avoid being swatted.  
  
"Hey! Could you at least give me a hand with this?" Leelee called out, but was ignored by her  
master of the dark force along with Spidey who was preparing to take flight off the end of her  
bed.   
  
"Ouch!" came the cry of the poor blonde, who in a moment of insanity, thought herself to be a  
vampire who could fly.  
  
"Well you both have the same I.Q. it seems," Essy snickered evilly.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This should be some good fun, ladies," SQ said, glancing down the hall toward the door at the  
end. "That must be ours."  
  
"Did she ever say how she found this old relic?" Amy asked, studying the pictures that lined the  
darkened hallway.   
  
"You'd think they could at least turn the lights up to a more pleasant brightness. This dark is  
killer," Dawn muttered.  
  
"Yeah, but it'll be great for sleeping," SQ mentioned, grabbing the door handle. Inserting the key,  
she turned it slightly and heard a click. With a smile, she pushed the door open and the three of  
them stood there gazing at the room they would share for the next few days.   
  
"Wow," Amy whispered, her eyes falling across the smooth surfaces and the delicately carved  
woodwork that lined the walls. The plush, blood red carpet sank beneath her feet, as she tried to  
register that this was indeed their room and that for once, Essy's bargain hunting had panned out.   
  
"Holy shit, this is sweet!" SQ said, walking into the room and glancing at a fireplace that was set  
into the far wall. Shaking her head, she walked over to a bed and sat down, eager to finally get  
some rest.   
  
"Whoa," Dawn muttered beneath her breath as she glanced around the spacious quarters. "This is  
my idea of style," she smiled, taking up residence on one of the two remaining beds.   
  
Amy walked over to the third bed, then glanced to a door off to the right. "What do you think  
that is?" she asked, immediately starting towards it.   
  
"Closet maybe?" SQ replied, stretching out across her bed.   
  
Amy walked nearer, the need to know growing deeper than she would have thought. Grasping  
the handle, she glanced over her shoulder to see Dawn watching her. With a slight hesitation, she  
turned the handle and pushed the door open slowly. In the next moments, Amy was pounced  
upon by an unknown predator. Letting a scream of fright escape her lips, it was immediately  
followed by laughter and soft whispering.   
  
"Amy!" SQ shouted and was up like a shot, running across the room. Shoving the door back, she  
smiled at the sight.   
  
There sat Amy with a grey cat sitting in her lap, pink collar around its neck, nuzzling her cheek.   
"Aw, what a precious kitty," Lisa cooed.  
  
"I vote we keep her," Amy said, scratching the cat between the ears.   
  
"Just don't let those weirdos downstairs catch us with a cat," Dawn added, reaching down to pet  
the soft fur.   
  
"Not a chance," Amy said with a smile. She got to her feet, holding the purring cat close to her.  
Frowning suddenly, she added, "I think she's hungry."  
  
"Well, I don't have anything to feed her. I'm not a walking kitty bag, you know?" SQ said,  
thinking of what they could do. "I have it. We'll just go down to the kitchen and get some tuna  
or something she'll eat."  
  
"Good idea," Amy replied, setting the cat down on her bed.   
  
"Wait a minute," Dawn interrupted.   
  
"What?" SQ asked, dropping her jacket in the chair.   
  
"Those weirdos aren't going to want us in their kitchen. They could be random axe murderers or  
something," Dawn replied hastily.  
  
"Those poopheads?" Amy interjected. "I doubt it. I don't think they have enough brain matter  
between them to fill a thimble."  
  
Shrugging, Dawn gave in and followed them out the door.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Remember who we were stuck with the last time?" Mairead asked, laughing softly as she recalled  
Selah's shocked expression.   
  
"Yeah, but he better not pull that crap again," Selah snickered, shoving the door open to see an  
empty room. Pushing her hair away from her face, she sighed. "Looks like it's you and me,  
babe," she smiled, walking into the room without a second thought.   
  
"Wait up!" a voice called out.   
  
Selah and Mai turned toward the new voice, wondering who might be brave enough to room with  
them. Selah smiled and offered her hand, introducing herself.  
  
"Hi," the newcomer replied, a bit nervous. "I'm Lies."  
  
"Never been to one of these, I take it?" Selah asked.   
  
"You'll love it," Mai added.   
  
"I hope so," she replied softly, following them into the awaiting room. She wasn't sure what she  
expected, but she was certain it wasn't anything of this grandeur. She slowly let abreath as her  
grey-green eyes took in the surroundings. "How did she find this place?" she asked, her eyes  
taking in every last feature of the room.  
  
"Mesa no know, but would you look at this?" Selah said, stretching her arms out and motioning  
around her. "This is too cool," she grinned, sprinting across the room and picking the first of the  
three beds. "Mine!"  
  
"You are so silly," Mai shook her head, moving through the room. "Do you have a preference,  
Lies?" she asked politely, standing between the two remaining beds.  
  
"Nope," Lies replied, shaking her head.  
  
When they had all finally settled down, they tried to relax, but Lies was on edge already. With  
odd looks from Selah and Mai, she got to her feet and walked to the window, pushing it open to  
let the fresh air in. Leaning on the window sill, she looked out across the landscape.   
  
"What's out there?" Mai asked, walking up behind her.  
  
"Nothing," Lies replied, an odd look on her face.   
  
Mai and Lies stood looking out the window. Ocean waves broke upon the shore, far below the  
cliff. The simple sounds of the surf eased their minds and soothed any doubts. After a few  
minutes, Mai walked back to her bed and sat down, leaning against the headboard and pulling a  
book from one of her bags.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dee, Fairy and Daisy made themselves comfortable in their shared quarters. Fairy sat down at a  
desk that lined the far wall, relaxing as she drew. Dee and Daisy sat by the window talking about  
everything they could do while they were there.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Paola, Christy and Jen settled down in their room for the night. The night was already upon them  
and the anxiety of the day only added to their exhaustion. As they pulled the covers up and fell  
asleep, not one of them noticed the shadow along the edge of their room, hanging there between  
existence and nothing before disappearing without a trace.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Those fools," a voice said, the darkness surrounding him like a shroud.   
  
"Ah, but there are a few who can't be so easily beguiled," another stated softly, running a pale  
hand across his chin.  
  
"We need adherents if we are to remain powerful," the first replied, his voice rising in pitch.   
"Those who will not serve our purpose shall perish. There is no one to stop us."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What do you think?" Kara asked, walking down the hall with Jade.  
  
"Essy shouldn't have brought everyone here," she replied, shaking her head. "Do you feel that?"  
  
"Yes," Kara answered, "Cold."  
  
Just as she finished speaking, a growl filled the hall and they turned to look behind them, to see if  
the source could be located. A sudden blast of air hit them and they were blown backwards,  
hitting the wall. Slowly getting to their feet, they looked at one another then back down the  
hallway.  
  
"Can we do that again?" Kara laughed, smiling over at Jade who had already started back down  
the hall. Catching up with her, she walked steadily down the corridor. "What are they waiting  
for?" she whispered softly, looking to her left then to her right.  
  
Jade shrugged. "I have no clue," she replied, watching the shadows as they played across the  
walls. Reaching the door at the end of the hall, Jade grasped the handle, turning it enough to  
release the lock so she could push it open easily.  
  
Kara flipped the light switch and they stood there looking around at the immaculate room.   
Pictures lined the walls and as soon as they set foot in the room, the door shut immediately behind  
them. Startled briefly, they walked slowly around, looking at all the small statues and  
engravements.   
  
As her foot fell lightly on the surface, Kara's shoe pushed a concealed protuberance back into the  
floor and the room shifted.  
  
"What the - ?" Jade asked, grabbing on to the nearest table.   
  
Kara lifted her foot to see the small circle beneath it. "I think I stepped on something," she  
muttered, crouching down to get a better look at it. Running her fingertips around the edges, she  
didn't notice the surroundings change until she looked up at Jade and found her sitting on a  
carousel.  
  
"This is great!" Jade said, jumping down and moving over to a train. "Think this is a nursery of  
some sort?" she asked, running her hand along the tracks with a smile.  
  
"What ever gave you that idea?" Kara retorted, then laughed.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny," Jade shook her head.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Quiet, you guys," Dawn said, as they moved through the hall toward the kitchen.   
  
Pushing open the door, SQ peeked inside. "Coast is clear," she whispered, stepping into the  
kitchen, her Doc Martin's tapping on the wooden floor. Pulling open a cupboard, all she could  
think about was the massive head count Essy claimed to have hidden in her cupboard. With a  
smile, she shuffled around the cans looking for tuna.  
  
"I'll get some milk," Amy said, grabbing a small bowl from the counter top.   
  
"Not too much, Amy, it's not good for the kitty," SQ offered.  
  
"I know that," Amy retorted with a sigh.   
  
"Come on, you guys," Dawn whispered from her lookout by the door. Peeking out the small  
crack, she could see shadows coming closer. "Shit! Hide!" she blurted, running for cover and  
ducking in the pantry.  
  
SQ and Amy's heads jerked up at Dawn's warning, their eyes searching for an adequate place to  
hide. Amy ran to join Dawn in the pantry while SQ hid beneath a counter. Holding the can to her  
chest, she flinched when she heard the door open and footsteps fall on the wooden floor. "Shit,"  
she whispered softly, wondering what they would do if they found her there.  
  
"Someone's been in here," a voice uttered, sending chills down the girls' spine. "See about the  
guests, make sure they are all accounted for."  
  
"Yes sir," another replied, the door swinging shut behind him.  
  
The footsteps echoed through the room, as he walked closer to the sink. Turning on the water,  
he let it run over his fingers, not bothering to look behind him to where Lisa "SQ" Weber was  
holding her breath and staring back at him.  
  
Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes stared at him. Glancing at the door just in front of her,  
she knew she couldn't move it without him hearing it, he was that close. Swallowing hard, she  
raised a shaky hand to cover her mouth as she heard the door open once again. More footsteps  
sounding on the wooden floor, made her skin crawl as she heard them approaching.  
  
"Two have found the room," a voice uttered, standing on the other side of the counter.  
  
"And?" he asked, not turning.  
  
"Should we leave them or take them out?" the other asked.  
  
"Leave them be. They can't possibly realize what they've stumbled into," he replied, drumming his  
fingers on the counter top before picking up a towel. Wiping his hands off, he shook his head  
tiredly, turning slightly to his left to regard his comrade. "Which two?" he questioned.   
  
"Does it matter?" the other replied, scoffing at the question.  
  
"Which two?!" he asked, his voice rising in pitch.   
  
"Jade and Kara, I believe," the other replied quickly.  
  
"Damn," he muttered, as though he had some hidden secret. Throwing the towel angrily across  
the room, he turned on his heels and left without looking down.  
  
Lisa watched him go, wondering what Essy had gotten them into. When she finally heard the  
door close, she slowly wrapped her fingers around the counter top and pulled herself up to peek  
over the counter. As soon as she was sure they had gone, SQ got to her feet, walking toward the  
pantry and pulling the door open.   
  
"Let's get back to the room before they check on us," Dawn said, making her way toward the  
door and cracking it open to peer outside. "Clear, lets go."  
  
They slowly made their way back to the room, jumping at every thump or thud they heard. Only  
when they had finally settled into their quarters were they able to relax a bit. But the conversation  
they overheard played heavy on their minds. 


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I think we should get out of here," Kara said, an odd feeling settling in her bones. Glancing  
around, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but the hair on the back of her neck was  
standing on end. Something was going to happen and she didn't want to be there when it did.   
  
"I agree. Do you have the feeling we're being watched?" Jade asked, glancing at her  
surroundings. As her gaze fell across the walls, she had the nagging feeling that someone was  
there and they were just biding their time for now. Jade breathed out, her breath freezing in the  
cooling air as she shivered and pulled her jacket tighter.  
  
Kara nodded in reply. She too felt as though there was something there that was watching their  
every move. She gently rubbed her arms. "It's getting cold in here." Kara said.   
  
Jade glanced at her then something caught her attention. "What was that?" she said, walking  
toward the wall.  
  
"What was what?" Kara asked, following her. Glancing behind her, she left nothing to chance as  
she made sure the door was still standing wide open as they had left it.   
  
"It was strange, as though . . ."Jade said, lifting her hand slowly. Reaching out, she touched the  
surface of an iridescent membrane shimmering against the soft light.   
  
"I don't like this," Kara said, taking a step back. "Your curiosity always leads us to trouble," she  
added, peering toward the ceiling. Kara gasped as the whole thing mutated before her eyes,  
changing from the innocence of a child's room into something more diabolical.   
  
"I don't either," Jade replied, her hand brushing the surface for a split second. Suddenly, Jade  
found her hand held in a deathly cold iron tight grasp. She let out a gasp as yet another pale hand  
shot out and latched onto her arm.   
  
"Our first catch," a voice cackled, making Jade look up. She was met with a pair of blazing red  
eyes that seemed to bore into her soul, and the cruelest smile she had ever encountered. Even  
Jareth could not compare to this . . . thing.   
  
Kara stared up at the ceiling, the cold dark brown eyes looking back at her so evil and calculating  
that she couldn't break her gaze away. All she could think of was how warm it would be if she  
gave in to the simple twist of fate and surrendered herself to him. She could hear her name being  
whispered so softly and she wanted to remain in her dream. She dreaded waking. As her mind  
slowly numbed to what was happening, Kara smiled softly. Her eyes lost focus and she felt the  
calm before the storm.   
  
"Kara!" Jade screamed, struggling with all her might against the hands that were slowly pulling  
her toward that evil being.   
  
Jade's scream snapped Kara back to where she was and she was ashamed that she could be taken  
in so easily. Shaking the last remaining bits of fog from her mind, Kara lunged toward her friend  
and latched on, using all her weight to detach her from the hands. "What is it?" she shouted.  
  
"Pull!" she screamed, tugging with all her might and hoping they had enough strength to pull free.   
  
Kara held on tight, pulling as hard as she could, but they didn't seem to be making any headway.   
Before she had a chance to react, another pale arm shot out and latched onto her shoulder, pulling  
her along too.   
  
"Ah, bonus," the voice cackled again. "They are too easy."  
  
Kara looked to see another being staring back at her with a thirst in its eyes. She pulled  
ferociously, but to no avail. She felt them slide forward, their sneakers squealing against the  
surface of the floor.   
  
"Where are they when we need them?" Jade asked, knowing they would hear her easily. In a  
matter of moments, Jade and Kara flew backwards as a strange light fell between them and the  
attackers.  
  
"Get out!" a familiar voice shouted.  
  
They didn't need to be told twice. Kara jumped to her feet, dragging Jade along with her and  
running for the door, only to have it slam shut in front of them. Kara threw herself against it,  
frantically trying to force it open. "It's locked!" Kara shouted. They both immediately began  
searching for another way out. The enemy was closing in on them with each tick of the clock.   
  
"Reverse it!" Jade shouted, feeling the walls for a release switch while watching the foe advancing  
inch by inch.  
  
"Where is that damn thing?" Kara mumbled as she dropped to the floor, looking intently for the  
button she had stepped on when she first walked in. "Help me out here, George." She could feel  
their advancement without looking up, but it didn't divert her from her task. Suddenly something  
told her to look toward the far wall.   
  
"Kara! There!" Jade shouted, at the same time Kara had spotted the lever that sat patiently  
waiting for attention.  
  
Kara jumped up and sprinted toward the lever but was thrown backwards, hitting the wall. The  
wind knocked out of her, she tried getting to her feet shakily, but knew she wouldn't be of any  
help now. "Jade, be careful! Duck!" She screamed, watching as a metal post flew through the air  
toward her friend's back.  
  
Jade dove to the floor just in time to avoid the post as it flew by. With a small breath of relief, she  
was up again with Kara watching her back. Another shout from Kara and Jade avoided a piece of  
the train track. Glancing back at Kara, she got to her feet again only to be stopped by another  
piece of flying debris, this time the train itself.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Jade finally reached the lever and yanked it down, sending  
everything back to the way it was before they entered. Jade turned around to see everything still  
lying on the floor where it had fallen after missing her.   
  
"It can't be that easy," she breathed, walking over to Kara. Offering her hand, she pulled Kara up  
to stand beside her. "What do you think?" Jade asked, still trying to catch her breath.  
  
"I honestly have no clue at the moment, but I know I don't want to stay in here any longer," she  
mentioned, heading toward the door. Pulling it open she screamed suddenly.  
  
"Calm yourself, young one," the man on the other side said, a small smile creasing his thin lips.   
"Why are you not in your room?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
"We were just looking around. What does it matter to you? I think you should quarantine this  
room until you figure out what's in there," she muttered angrily, pushing past him and knocking  
him into the door frame.  
  
"Excuse us," Jade said softly, following her friend down the hall, not looking back.  
  
Talking between themselves all the way back to their room, they could feel the shadows following  
behind them as though they wanted to swallow them up whole. Pushing the door open, Kara  
flipped on the light while Jade opened the blinds.  
  
"Everything seems to be fine in here," Jade said, glancing around then smiling. "Except an angry  
muse that just woke up."  
  
"What the bleedin' hell are you doing?" Gemma asked, unthrilled with being woken up way  
before she wanted. It was still dark out!  
  
"Nothing. Go back to sleep, Gemma," Jade replied, giving the room one last look.  
  
Gemma looked from one to the other. Not wanting to question their odd looks, she settled back  
down to try to go back to sleep. Closing her eyes, she listened as they talked some more, hearing  
odd things she'd never considered before meeting those two. Now she was glad she took it in her  
own hands to pick her roomies.  
  
"Do you think it was an isolated incident?" Jade asked, sitting down on her bed and flopping a  
book in front of her.  
  
"I don't know. I've never come up against anything like that before," Kara replied, sitting across  
from her. "What are you looking for?"  
  
"The answers we need to keep us safe," she murmured softly, flipping through the pages.   
  
"What about the others?" Kara whispered, trying not to rouse Gemma too much. "Should we  
warn them to stay out of there?"  
  
"I don't think its contained to just that room, Kara. I'm thinking this whole place is. . ." Jade  
trailed off, her eyes scanning the words on the pages.  
  
"I know," Kara said, not needing her to finish her sentence.  
  
"I have an idea," Jade smiled. "We need your dad."  
  
When Jade and Kara finally settled down to rest, Gemma had already fallen asleep. Tomorrow  
was another day.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Selah and Mai had fallen asleep as the surf air gently blew through the window. Not a sound  
filled the room since they had shut the window. As shadows from the moonlight carressed the  
walls, Lies lay wide awake and staring into nothingness.   
  
She needed noise.   
  
Getting to her feet, she pulled on her robe and glanced at the others who were sleeping peacefully.   
With a sigh, she walked softly to the door and left. Walking down the hallway, she glanced at the  
paintings. Pushing another door open, she found herself in a large spacious room full of mirrors  
and books. With a smile, she walked over and read a few of the titles.  
  
Behind her, a shadow took form, slowly manifesting and taking shape. With a wicked smile, he  
watched her with a certain knowledge that soon, he would be alive again. Pointing his finger, a  
thump rose in front of Lies causing her to jump backwards.   
  
With a smile, iron hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her backwards and against the mirror.   
Clamping a hand over her mouth, he silenced her scream immediately. It was only a matter of  
moments now.  
  
Lies felt cold unlike any other in the few seconds she remained pinned against the mirror. Strong  
hands held tight as they seemed to permeate her skin. All at once, her body collapsed, falling to  
the ground in a lifeless heap as she stood there staring in horror.   
  
Her eyes lifted from her shell to see a man looking back at her. Fear gripped her as she witnessed  
her body rising from the floor, turning to stare back at her. Her own eyes looking into the mirror  
to see her soul wafting through space, a cruel smile on her lips.  
  
"Thank you," fell from her lips. Her own voice now haunted her mind as she watched herself turn  
and walk away toward the door.   
  
"NO!" she screamed, watching the other turn around, pausing slightly in their strides long enough  
to shake their head. Lies beat her fist against the mirror, wanting to break it to pieces, but it never  
budged. She was helpless.  
  
"Scream all you like. Nobody will hear you," she remarked, running a hand down her side to  
settle it on her hip. "I was hoping for a man, but. . . this will do," she muttered, walking from the  
room leaving Lies trapped with no escape.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How could you let them escape?" a voice asked, irritation lacing his tone.   
  
"It wasn't my fault!" another shot back, pleading with his leader.  
  
"Wes, it's never your fault, is it?" he asked, staring the other down.  
  
"It wasn't, Gavin! If Gabe hadn't toyed with the red head, we would have had them," he replied  
angrily.   
"Yes, well, I blame both of you," Gavin answered swiftly. "They will be expecting something  
now. We will have to speed things up."  
  
"One down, and I'm the lucky one," came a voice as Lies sauntered into the room. Leaning  
against the counter, she smiled. "Hello, fellas."  
  
"Ben?" Gabe asked, his eyes wide in shock.  
  
"You got it," he replied, no longer using Lies's voice. "How did we get all women, Gavin?"  
  
"You can't play with chance, Ben. If all we have to chose from is women, then they will work.   
Our time is running out and this is our last chance," Gavin mentioned, the urgency seeping into his  
words. "We have two trouble makers on the loose, though. Steer clear of them, do you hear me?   
They can't put the puzzle together before it's too late."  
  
"But, Gavin, if we leave them be they will warn the others," Wes replied quickly.  
  
"They won't have a chance by then," Gavin smiled wickedly, crossing his arms across his chest.   
"Now go. Ben, you help the others. You are one of them now."  
  
Laughter echoed through the air as the men dispersed. They had a plan, and now was the time to  
carry out their dastardly deed. One by one they disappeared, becoming one with the house and  
one with Evil.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Daisy walked through the hall admiring the portraits. The beauty of this place astounded her and  
she was always ready to check out anything new. Her footsteps sounded on the hard wooden  
floor as she made her way down toward the kitchen.   
  
With a smile, she pushed the door open and stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to  
intrude," she said, taking a step back.   
  
"Oh, but you'll like it here," Wes said, stepping closer.  
  
Daisy took another step back only to be stopped suddenly. Turning around slowly, she came face  
to face with another man, his eyes glinting mischievously in the fading light. Grabbed from  
behind, Daisy fought against her captor while lashing out with her feet.   
  
"Oh, feisty," the other commented with a sneer. "I like that in a woman."  
  
"Just get on with it, Nick," Wes stated, holding her tightly against his chest.   
  
"Let me go!" she screamed, bringing her foot up at Nick. Terror shook her as her foot passed  
right through him, causing his smile to widen.  
  
"Oh I like the rough stuff, sweetie," he murmured, moving closer.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked.  
  
"What does anyone ever want?" he retorted, dragging a thin finger down her cheek. He leaned in  
close to whisper in her ear. "Life."  
  
Daisy felt the cold of death lingering just in front of her. Shivering from the unknown, she  
breathed her final breath as Nick advanced, pushing himself into her and shoving her soul out into  
the coldness of space.   
  
"Oh, this feels so nice," he commented, running his hands across his newly acquired body. "Hey,  
fellas, she really kept in shape," he commented, a smile pursing his new lips.   
  
"What's going on?" Daisy could hear her voice echoing but they seemed to pay her no mind.   
Instead, she felt herself pushed back further from existence. Suddenly she found herself in an  
desolate place, wanting nothing more than to have things back the way they were before.   
  
"You, too?" a voice broke Daisy's concentration.   
  
"What's happening?" she asked.  
  
"They're taking advantage of us, that's for sure. I'm Lies. This is the first one of these I ve been  
to, and I bet I reconsider the next one."  
  
"Same here," Daisy commented. "Is there anything we can do to maybe warn the others so they  
don't suffer the same fate as we have already?"  
  
"I don't know, but we have complete freedom for the most part. Though they keep us hidden  
behind walls, mirrors and such." Lies mentioned, pointing to Gavin she continued. "He's the  
leader. And judging by how pissed off he was earlier, I'm thinking they must have messed up  
somewhere. Maybe they have loose ends or something? I'm just grasping at any idea here, but  
it's better than doing nothing."   
  
Daisy nodded in agreement as she followed Lies through the catacombs of darkness that filled the  
space behind the walls.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Essy lay in a dreamless sleep, the night creeping over her body. A small sigh of contentment  
escaped her lips as she rolled over onto her back.   
  
A pasty white hand snaked up from her covers, slowly drawing closer to her. Another pair of  
hands rose by her legs, and yet she remained still. More still rose from her bed, surrounding her  
sleeping body. Without a sound, the seven hands moved in closer, waiting for the perfect time to  
strike. All at once, they snapped. As each hand grabbed a leg, an arm, her stomach, Essy woke  
up instantly, startled as the last hand clamped down over her mouth prohibiting her from  
screaming and waking up her roomies.  
  
Struggling in the dark against the unknown, Essy slowly lost her battle. As her soul was ripped  
viciously from her body, she was forced to watch as another took control. The anger that filled  
her was no match for the evil that held her body as its own. When they smiled back at her, that  
smile of hers so chilling, Essy was lost.  
  
Watching as they moved through the room to another, Essy screamed for her friends to wake up.   
Her voice was deadened on her shimmering lips. There was nothing she could do.  
  
"Take this one next," Essy's voice said softly.  
  
"Why this one, Eric?" a voice asked.  
  
"Because she's closest and the other one is a lighter sleeper. Look. . . " Essy's voice mentioned,  
pointing to Leelee's body squirming beneath her covers.  
  
Essy watched helplessly as Spidey was torn from her peaceful slumber. No scream was heard as  
Essy noted they didn't even give her time to react. Leelee was last to be taken and Essy could  
only hope that her apprentice would wake up and get out.   
  
Spidey stared wide eyed at herself as her body rose from it's resting place. Shock filled her senses  
and she screamed as realized that she wasn't dreaming. Looking around, she saw Essy's  
shimmering soul floating not far off, and she wanted to break down and cry. She was too young  
for something like this to happen. Why?  
  
"Spidey, we have to help Leelee. There isn't anything we can do now for ourselves," Essy  
muttered angrily, as she watched them advancing on her apprentice. "Damn Jareth for taking my  
crossbow!" she screamed.  
  
Leelee slowly opened her eyes. Was that Essy she just heard? Wiping the sleep from her eyes,  
she glanced over to see a group of strange beings closing in on her and her heart skipped a beat.   
Whipping the covers from her body, Leelee was up on her feet in no time.  
  
"Get her!" Spidey's voice called out. "Eric, she's getting away!"   
  
"You could do something other than just stand there, Danny!" Eric shot back, running after  
Leelee.  
  
"I just got in this body, don't want to mess it up yet," Danny muttered, running a hand through the  
blonde hair.   
  
Leelee was out the door quicker than Jareth gets out of his tights. Running down the hallway, she  
screamed for anyone to help her. She could hear them right behind her, their evil laughter  
haunting her, daring her to look back. Cold. . . she felt a chilling bitterness closing in on her,  
stifling her senses. Trying door after door, she couldn't help but look. Behind her were her fallen  
friends and those wicked beings that wanted to do her harm. The deadly looks that stared back  
chilled her to the bone. Leelee was barely aware of anything but the fright that controlled her at  
that instant. The sound of her own heart beating frantically filled her ears and her mind cried out  
in terror. Her thoughts ran wild, filling her body with so much fear that she was shaking at the  
thought of losing herself to those behind her. Yes, behind her. She had to keep running, she had  
to keep them back there away from her to remain safe.   
  
They were getting closer, she could feel it. It was as though she was knocking on death's door  
and any second he would answer only to take her life. What was she doing? Why were they  
doing this? All these questions she wanted answers to and yet she was too scared to think of  
what response she'd get. In the end, she knew it was a matter of life and death. Survival of the  
fittest, only she was lucky enough to be awakened. Her thoughts went to Essy and Spidey  
knowing they hadn't stood a chance.   
  
Running around the corner, she found herself boxed in. "NO!" she screamed, trying the doors she  
could reach. "Leave me alone! I don't want to die!" she shrieked, grasping the knob of the  
nearest door and turning it. She pushed the door open briskly to find Jade, Kara and Gemma.   
Closing the door, she leaned on it with all her weight.  
  
"What's wrong, Lisee?" Jade asked, seeing her pale face and eyes full of fright.  
  
"They got them," she answered, shaking at almost having been a statistic herself.  
  
"Calm down, Leelee. Who?" Kara asked, walking up beside Jade.  
  
"Essy. . . Spidey. . . they got em!" she shrieked, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her  
thoughts. A thump on the door, Leelee screamed and jumped away from it, scared out of her wits  
that they would still come after her even now. "Don't let them get me, Jade," she pleaded.  
  
"Calm down, Lisee. Nobody's going to get you," Jade assured her, walking toward the door.   
Setting her hand on the knob, Jade glanced back at Kara as she lifted her hand. "Feel it?" she  
asked.  
  
"Yeah," Kara replied. "Don't open that door."  
  
"What's going on?" Gemma asked, looking at the looks between them.   
  
"How are we supposed to know?" Jade asked, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"I don't buy that," Gemma retorted, moving to lock the door.   
  
"Kara, we still need your dad," Jade mentioned.  
  
"I'm working on it," Kara muttered, knowing her dad was just ignoring her to teach her a lesson.   
Just like Jareth. "Do you have a plan?" Kara asked softly.  
  
"Not yet, but I'm thinking of one," Jade replied, walking back over to sit down on the bed. "How  
many do you think there are?"  
  
"There were at least seven in my room. That's counting Essy and Spidey," Lisa offered, calming  
slightly.   
  
"I think there is more than that," Kara mentioned, looking toward the window.   
  
"I agree," Jade added, going back to her book.  
  
"We have to do something!" Leelee shrieked.  
  
"We will, Lisee. All in good time," Jade replied.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Damn. Can't you do anything right?" Gavin asked, running his fingers across the portrait in front  
of him. "This was supposed to be easy, and all you have done is screwed it up!" he bit out,  
turning to face his assembly.  
  
"We're doing our best, Gavin," Eric muttered, putting a hand on his hip. Oh how he liked having  
Essy's body.   
  
"Your best isn't good enough. How many are held up in that room now?" he asked, glancing over  
followers.   
  
"Four," Wes stated softly.   
  
"Four? Only four? That's too many!" Gavin roared. "And what of their leader? Anyone seen  
him hanging about?"   
  
"No, sir," another replied.   
  
"We must prepare for his arrival," Gavin stated, smiling wickedly. "He will be my greatest  
conquest. Abby, you know what to do. Now go and round up the last of them. Those last four  
will suffer for the trouble they've caused." Gavin ended, waving the rest of them away.  
  
Leaning against the mantle, Gavin was not happy. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe how  
botched the simple plan was. "It was too easy. Those fools!" Gavin muttered angrily, banging his  
fist against the hard mantle. Lifting his hand, he examined the damage. The age old hand,  
deadened by years of service was finally worn out. The time had come to move on, and he was  
surrounded by a bunch of fools.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Chapter 3

Jen stared up at the ceiling unable to sleep. Rolling onto her side, she could see Paola sleeping  
peacefully. Why couldn't she sleep? Even Christy seemed to be dead to the world. With a sigh  
of exasperation, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep but making no progress.  
  
Her eyes sneaking open slowly, she was immediately met with a pair of cool blue eyes, their gaze  
staring back at her icily. Opening her mouth to scream, another hand came from nowhere,  
clamping down and keeping her from uttering a sound of protest. Her heart pounded fiercely in  
her chest then suddenly stopped. She no longer felt the restraints of the hands as she looked on.   
What had happened? Where was she?   
  
As her body rose and grinned, Jen felt nothing but emptiness. Her life had been snatched in the  
blink of an eye and she had been helpless to stop it. Watching in utter disgust as they swept  
through the room, Jen was soon in company with Paola and Christy, both of whom shared her  
fate.  
  
"What's going on?" Christy asked, feeling as though she were in a dream.   
  
"I don't know. Where the hell is Jareth?" Paola snapped, blaming Jareth instantly. He always  
seemed to be the root of all their sorrow.  
  
Jen remained silent. For what it was worth, she didn't know how to react or what to say. All that  
she could think of was losing the best years of her life to death. Closing her eyes to the brutal  
reality that she was indeed gone, she wanted to scream to the wind that it wasn't fair! Shaking her  
head, trying to clear her mind of all the nonsense, she slowly opened her eyes to see that it was  
real. Glancing at the others, she was amazed to see they weren't the only ones.  
  
"What are these guys up to?" Lies said as she and Daisy joined the trio. "Who else do you think  
they got?"  
  
"I'll get even with them," Essy growled, as she and Spidey wandered into the gathering. "What  
the hell do they think they are doing?! If this is why I got great rates, they should be reported!"  
she bellowed.  
  
"You guys, too?" Christy asked, amazed anyone dared mess with Essy.   
  
"They spread us out so that it would be easier. If there is nobody to hear the scream, then there is  
nobody to stop them," Paola said, watching as the last of them left the room. "Where are all the  
others?"  
  
"Then I say let's follow them," Essy muttered angrily. "I want my body back!"  
  
"And just how do you propose we get out bodies back? They will know we're there," Jen  
retorted.  
  
"We'll think of something," Lies offered calmly.   
  
"Better start thinking fast, there aren't that many of us left," Paola said, heading off to try to find  
the others. The rest of them followed closely, Essy soon taking the lead as they searched the  
darkness for a way out. All they wanted to do was thwart the evil plans of their unknown villains  
and stop them from taking control of their friends' bodies.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a knock on the door and Leelee jumped clean off the bed. "They're here!" she  
shrieked.  
  
"Calm down," Gemma retorted.  
  
"You in there," a voice called through the door, sending shivers down Kara's spine. "If you come  
out now, I'll see to it that you aren't harmed."  
  
"And we're supposed to trust the word of a psychopath?" Gemma shouted back. "Can we say  
Patrick Bateman?!"  
  
Jade glanced at her. "Bateman?" she whispered. Even now, Christian Bale was foremost on  
Gemma's mind.   
  
"It was the only psychotic I could think of at the moment. Not my fault Christian played his  
character," she smiled.  
  
"Open the door. I only want to talk," the voice said.  
  
"Yeah, right," Kara muttered angrily.  
  
Jade pulled the door open only so far, looking at the man standing there. His deep blue eyes were  
intent on making them see his way of things. "So talk," she said, holding the door with her foot.  
  
The man stared back, no trace of emotion at all as he glanced into the room with the limited view.   
"I know there are four of you in there," he uttered, his gaze coming back to land on Jade. "You  
won't escape," he added.  
  
"You won't win, Gavin," Jade shot back.  
  
Gavin's look of shock at her knowing his name soon faded and he hit the door with a hard fist.   
"You're going to die in there!" he shouted angrily, hitting the door again. "You're all going to  
DIE!"  
  
His last threat echoed in the air as he disappeared from sight. Shutting the door, Jade turned to  
look at the others. "He's given us no choice but to retaliate. Shall we go to war, UGLies?" she  
asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yes!" Leelee replied quickly, soon followed by the other two.   
  
"Think we can pull it off?" Gemma asked Kara softly.  
  
"Of course," she replied. "DAD!" Kara cried out at the top of her lungs.  
  
Slowly taking shape before them, Jareth smirked. "Yes?" he asked smugly, knowing they needed  
something. Kara never called on him otherwise. "You bellowed, child?"  
  
"Cut the crap, Jareth," Gemma bit out, taking a step closer.  
  
"Hold it right there," he said, raising his hand in defense.   
  
"Gemma, beat him up later. Right now we need him," Jade mentioned, catching Jareth's attention  
with the last line.  
  
"What was that?" he asked, cupping a gloved hand to his ear.   
  
Leelee hit his elbow. "Knock it off, Jerry. You can be a pain in the ass another day, if we live  
that long!" Leelee snapped.  
  
Jareth turned around, giving her an odd look. Raising a stern brow, he couldn't help but be  
intrigued. "What's this about living?" he asked, raising a hand in thought.  
  
"We're all going to die if you don't give us this," Kara stated, handing Jareth a piece of paper.  
  
Jareth's eyes scanned the contents then slowly looked up. "You can't be serious?" he replied, his  
lips curling into a mocking smile.  
  
"Of course we are, you evil git!" Gemma bit out.  
  
"Jareth, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," Jade said seriously. "We know  
for a fact they have already taken Spidey and Easy. Others most likely have disappeared as well.   
Leelee narrowly escaped," she explained, then continued. "It is only a matter of time before they  
have the whole lot of UGLies. You know what that means, don't you?" she asked, looking at  
him.  
  
"What?" he asked, not pleased with this recent information.  
  
"No more Underground Labyrinth listians for you to pursue," Jade replied.  
  
"No listians, dad. You'll be all alone," Kara added, shaking her head. "You won't even have me  
anymore to harass you," she added softly, then went for the kill. Raising a hand, she pressed the  
back against her forehead. "Tell David I love him and I'll be with him always," she said softly,  
sitting down on the nearest bed.  
  
"Now, Kara. . ." Jareth started, but Leelee interrupted him.   
  
Leelee tugged on his shirt. "I have something to tell you for the last time since I'll be gone soon."  
  
Jareth looked at her and sighed. "You're not going anywhere," he muttered, then his tone  
softened a bit. "What did you want to tell me?" he asked.  
  
"I hate you," she replied.  
  
"Why do I bother?" he uttered, looking upward toward the ceiling.  
  
"Because secretly you love the attention, and you know Leelee wouldn't say that if she didn't  
care," Kara replied.  
  
"Too much psych for you," Jade added. "So Jareth, are you going to give us what we need or  
lose everything you have now?"   
  
Jareth looked at each of the women. "Are you certain you know what you're doing?" he asked.  
  
"Of course we are," Jade replied.  
  
"Sure!" Leelee piped in.  
  
"Did you really have any doubt?" Kara mentioned.  
  
"Trust us for once, you git," Gemma added.  
  
Jareth sighed in disgust. What choice did he have? It was either trusting four of his most  
bothersome listians or losing them along with everyone else if they were right. With a small twist  
of his wrist, Jareth held a crystal in his hand, his reflection perfectly filling the crystal orb.   
  
In a matter or moments, all they had asked for was scattered across the beds. Jareth watched  
them going over what they had, making sure it was all there and he had to admire their  
thoroughness. Sitting down on the chair by the desk, Jareth waited patiently to be thanked.   
  
"Looks like it's all here," Jade said.   
  
"Okay, let's suit up then," Gemma added, tossing Leelee a suit.   
  
"Not really my color, but it will do," Leelee laughed.  
  
"You think it's mine?" Kara gasped, looking at it. "Better tie our hair up so that it doesn't get in  
the way. Especially you, Leelee. You have gorgeous hair, by the way," she commented.  
  
"Thanks," Leelee replied, blushing a bit.   
  
"This has to be a nightmare," Jareth uttered under his breath, covering his eyes with his hand.  
  
"No, the nightmare has yet to come," Kara retorted, causing him to look at her.   
  
"If we don't make it back, you're the only hope for the alliance," Jade said, trying to keep a smirk  
from showing.  
  
"I think you should be banned from watching Star Wars," Jareth shot back.  
  
"Seriously though, watch your back, Jareth. Trust no one," Jade replied.  
  
"X-Files now?" he muttered, shaking his head. "I think you watch too much television."  
  
"She's serious, Jareth. You can't trust anyone outside of this room. We don't know how many  
listians are still themselves," Leelee shot back. "I KNOW, Jareth. I've SEEN it."  
  
"Alright," Jareth retorted, wanting to get out of the room. "I'll just go check on some of the  
others."  
  
"No," Kara stated. "You stay out of this, dad. You are just as much a target just by being here as  
any of the listians. We can't give them your power."  
  
"For once I have to agree to keep you safe, Jareth," Gemma mentioned. "I'm the only one that  
gets to beat you up."  
  
"Oh, I feel all the warmth of love. Enough to fill a thimble," Jareth muttered, disappearing from  
sight.  
  
"Do you think he'll listen?" Kara asked.  
  
"Does he ever?" Jade replied.  
  
"Shit," Leelee muttered.  
  
"Let's get everything together. The sooner we stop them, the sooner things get back to normal,"  
Kara said, grabbing a box from the bed. Flipping a switch, it lit up as the two sensors moved on  
the end. "Cool."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Smut Queen opened her eyes slowly, looking at the shadows that played across the walls. Slowly  
sitting up, she stretched slowly, glancing to make sure Amy and Dawn were still asleep. With a  
smile, she flipped the covers back and grabbed her luggage. Rifling through her things, she pulled  
out what she was looking for and headed off toward the bathroom. She loved time for herself.  
  
Shutting the door behind her, she set everything down on the counter. Running her fingers across  
the smooth porcelain top, she smiled then turned toward the large tub. Turning on the water, she  
tested the temperature with her hand. Grabbing the small chain draped over the faucet, she  
dropped the stopper into the drain, letting the tub fill with water.  
  
Picking up a bottle, she poured some of the silky liquid into the water then set it back in it's place  
on the counter. After undressing, she turned the water off and slipped a foot into the tub, smiling  
at how good it felt. Sinking into her bubbly bath water, Lisa let herself relax. Resting her head,  
she closed her eyes and let her mind wander.  
  
A pair of green eyes watched, waiting for their moment to overtake her. Slowly a form took  
shape and a smile face smiled. "This is too easy," Abby whispered, taking a step nearer.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Amy grabbed her robe, knowing Lisa was taking up residence in their bathroom, and headed  
toward the door. All of a sudden the cat hissed, stopping Amy dead in her tracks. "What it is,  
girl?" she asked, crouching down and picking the cat up. Giving the room one last look to make  
sure nothing was out of the ordinary, she left with the cat still in her arms.  
  
Walking down the hall, she didn't give much thought to the slow drop in temperature, slight  
enough that it was barely noticeable until her breath curled in front of her. "They should turn on  
the heat, shouldn't they, kitty?" she asked, stroking the soft fur.  
  
Footsteps sounded through the hall and Amy stopped abruptly. Looking behind her there was  
nothing, so she started walking again, only to have the footsteps pierce the silence once more.   
The cat hissed as it tensed in her arms and Amy didn't like the feeling that seemed to manifest  
deep in her stomach. Glancing around slowly, she saw only darkness until finally something  
strange caught her eye.  
  
Before her rose a swirling shadow, a light fog wisping around itself pushing itself higher as it  
continued it's path from the floor. As it slowly took form, Amy's eyes widened only to be met  
with a cruel smile crossing a wicked face. Clear blue eyes met hazel ones as the figure  
approached, stopping briefly as the cat hissed.  
  
"The cat can't save your soul," the soft voice called, falling from a pair of lush lips as the woman  
took another step, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief.  
  
Amy took a step back, wanting nothing to do with this person. "My soul?" she questioned, her  
face scrunching up into a scowl. "What the hell are you talking about?" she asked angrily.  
  
The woman laughed, her voice chilling the atmosphere of the small hallway. "My, what a mouth  
you have," she smiled. "Your temper is wasted on me," she stated, moving closer.  
  
Essy and the others watched helplessly as Amy started losing her ground. With a sudden hatred  
boiling up inside herself, Essy, the evil Sith Lord, lunged forward almost expecting to be thrown  
back. Surprise engulfed her as she fell through the restrictive barrier that held them captive and  
into the free space of her friend.   
  
"I'll save you Pol!" Essy yelled, her voice now echoing off the walls.  
  
Amy's head jerked up at the suddenness. "Essy?" she called out, unsure of what she heard.  
  
In that brief instant, Amy dropped her guard as she looked around in confusion. She knew she  
heard Essy, but for the life of her couldn't figure out where she was. A sudden numbness invaded  
her senses as her head snapped back to see that the woman had completed her journey and now  
held her by the shoulders. Screaming, Amy writhed in her grasp, trying desperately to break free.  
  
The woman laughed, her head falling back.  
  
"Oh, no you don't, you bloody moron!" Essy's voice cut through the silence as her soul leapt  
forward to just brush the other. A shock of energy hit her like a train causing Essy's  
concentration to falter. Falling backwards, she reached out for anything to stop her descent back  
to the shadows.   
  
"Know this now," the woman spoke, her eyes focusing on Amy's. "I want you to know who  
brought about your death," she grinned wickedly, holding tighter to Amy's shoulders. "I am  
Paige, and it's a pleasure taking your vessel," she murmured softly, letting her body begin to  
merge.  
  
Amy screamed in pain as her soul seemed to rip deep down and slowly lose it's hold on life.  
Without a thought, she tossed the cat in the hopes that it would get away only to send it in the  
direction of Essy. As the cat flew through Essy's soul, she grasped whatever shred of life she  
could and pulled it into herself, becoming one with life once more.   
  
"Nice," Paige said, examining her newly acquired body.   
  
Amy watched in horror as her body started walking away. She felt herself pulled by some  
unknown force toward the shadows. With one last look to the cat, she smiled a pained smile as  
she disappeared into the darkness.  
  
"Pol!" Essy yelled, looking up at Amy's body.  
  
"I'm afraid she's no longer able to speak with you," Paige sneered, looking down at the cat that sat  
at her feet. "You nearly cost me everything. I think it's time you learned a lesson in respect," she  
muttered, swiping a foot at the cat angrily.  
  
Essy jumped out of the way, narrowly escaping the blow. Hissing, Essy leaped at the woman,  
extending her claws only to be knocked away easily. As the small body hit the ground, Essy had  
no choice but to run. There was nothing she could do as a feline, and she needed to find out what  
was going on.   
  
Running down the hall, the little padded feet falling silently against the floor, Essy's ears perked  
up. "What was that?" she uttered softly, thankful that she still had her own voice. As a group of  
people left a room, Essy hid in the shadows, her disguise perfect for her intent. "They have  
almost everyone," she whispered softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the retreating forms.   
Without a second thought, she followed them, thankful she was small enough to be overlooked.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What of the others, Gavin?" Wes asked, his voice hushed against the stilled air. "There are not  
enough of them to ensure life."  
  
"That is the least of our concerns right now. There are those who know they will not continue in  
this plane. If they must shadow us until the next advantage, then so be it. I have already taken  
the opportunity to recruit a few as protectors," Gavin replied, rubbing his chin as he examined his  
face. "I'll be happy once I am rid of this old, tired body."  
  
"Still no sign of him, Gavin. Are you sure he'll return?" Wes asked.  
  
"Of course," Gavin retorted. "One of them is his daughter," he smiled, then continued, "and lucky  
for us, she is one of the four to suffer until the end. She will beg her daddy as she lies dying in her  
a pool of her own blood," he added, a gruesome smile lighting his face.   
  
"What will be the fate of the other three?" Wes asked, intrigued with the possibility of death.  
  
"That headstrong woman, Jade, will die last suffering from watching her friends fall before her,"  
Gavin smiled wickedly. "Perhaps they would all make a formidable conquest before they die?" he  
mused.  
  
"You're just asking for trouble now, Gavin," Wes shook his head.   
  
"Oh, really?" Gavin asked, looking back at Wes with cold eyes. "We shall see," he grinned  
wolfishly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh, these things are heavy," Gemma whined, her small frame not holding up under the strain.   
  
"Jareth should have made one of these smaller for the Germ," Leelee smiled, fastening the belt  
around her middle.  
  
"Kara, can't you make it smaller? I mean, you are your father's child," Jade smiled, knowing Kara  
disliked that phrase.   
  
"I can try," Kara replied after sticking her tongue out at Jade.   
  
Gemma sat it down on her bed and took a step back. Watching Kara was amusing, as she made it  
bigger, smaller, then finally just the right size. Gemma smiled as she picked it back up, glancing  
over the parts. "Will it still have the same charge as the others?" she asked, not wanting to be left  
out of any destruction.  
  
"I'm sure you'll blow plenty up, Gemmie," Jade added, picking up an instrument and looking it  
over carefully. Flipping the switch, she smiled. "This is too cool! Think Jareth will let us keep all  
this when we go home?"   
  
"No," Leelee replied quickly. "He doesn't like us to have fun. When will you ever realize that?"  
she laughed, ducking Kara's arm. "Touchy, aren't you?"  
  
"Okay, guys. Enough chatter. I hope you all know how these things work. If you don't, now is  
the time to ask," Jade muttered, clipping a lightsaber to her belt. Looking up she smiled.   
"What?"  
  
"You have a lightsaber? How fair is that?" Gemma asked, fastening the belt around her waist.   
  
"Jareth gave it to me. Said that I could play with Luke's saber as long as it wasn't a part of his  
anatomy," she grinned, grasping the handle.   
  
Leelee busted out laughing. "Just like him to worry about you groping a Jedi!" she cackled.   
  
"Alright, let's get organized. We only have a little time left," Kara mentioned, pulling on her tan  
coveralls. "These things are so drab. And why do we have to wear elbow pads?" she asked,  
holding the protective equipment with two fingers. "I am not that clumsy."  
  
"It's just a precaution, Kara. Besides, it goes with the equipment. Just put it on and deal with it,  
Brat," Jade replied.  
  
Setting about their critical tasks, the four of them grew quiet, unsure of what they were doing or  
whether or not they would win. The wind rustled outside the window, adding to the eerie  
atmosphere. Each of them knew what hung in the balance.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dee stretched as the morning light filtered in through the window. Not ready to get up yet, she  
pulled her covers up over her head, trying to ignore the dawning day. She heard movement in the  
room and decided it would be best for her to get up and be socialable, even though she was not a  
morning person.   
  
Shoving the covers back, she yawned, missing her nemesis, Octopus. Shaking her head, she  
vowed that the evil fish would get his. She'd kick his ass! Laughing at the thought, she sat up  
slowly, glancing around to see that Allie was up and gone already and Daisy's bed had not been  
slept in. "Odd," she muttered, yawning again and stretching her arms above her head.   
  
Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, Dee set her feet on the cold floor and shivered  
involuntarily. Standing up, she walked through the room and flung the closet door open. She  
missed her closet back home since she had started college. With a wicked smile, she remembered  
her insanity last Christmas then quickly pushed the thought from her mind. Insanity was right.   
She had to be crazy to have jumped him.   
  
With a sigh, she walked to the window and pushed it open taking in the fresh sea air. Leaning  
against the rail, she smiled at the peaceful surroundings. She could hear the ocean waves crashing  
below on the rocks. Looking down, Dee had seen plenty. She wasn't aware that they had been so  
far up and now she could feel a small pang of apprehension swirling through her. Taking a step  
back, she breathed out softly, her eyes on the horizon.  
  
A foot fell silently on the floor as a pair of cool grey eyes fell on their prey. A wicked smile  
crossing an eager face, a slip of shadow moved silently across the floor toward the open window  
with only one thing in mind. Survival was calling so sweetly to their livelihood, the chance arising  
to set things in motion once again.   
  
Dee shivered, the cool morning air dampening her senses as she watched the blue of the sky  
lighten with the passing of the dawn. Rubbing her arms gently with the palms of her hands, Dee  
turned around to come face to face with a complete stranger. Opening her mouth to scream, a  
hand clamped down instantly, cutting off any hope for help.   
  
"Shhhh...." a smooth voice fell from red lips as they curled into an evil smile. Grey eyes looked  
Dee over appreciatively until they came back to catch her terrified gaze. "Don't make this any  
more difficult than it has to be."  
  
Dee was stunned, fear sweeping through her unlike anything she had imagined. Though she had  
been through so much as she has grown into the woman she is, nothing could have prepared her  
for this. A strangled cry hidden from the world by a single hand, Dee felt herself being pushed  
backwards. Oh my god! The window!' her mind screamed in agony, feeling the breeze on the  
back of her neck.   
  
Dee reached out with her hand, trying to knock her attacker off, but to no avail. As the grip  
tightened, Dee's body screamed in agony. Her fingers clutched at the wall, trying desperately to  
latch on to anything that would help her in the struggle for her freedom. Her back against the  
window, her eyes fell to the depths below and her heart raced.   
  
Dee felt her feet leaving the ground, her hands grasping at the edges of the wall as her body  
cringed from the inevitable. The wind rushed her ears, deafening her to the outside world. Her  
heartbeat pounding ferociously was the only sound she heard as the last shred of hope dwindled  
slowly away, her fingertips grazing nothing.   
  
Suddenly free falling, Dee screamed bloody murder as she plummeted only to come to the reality  
that she was no longer in her body. Feeling light as air, Dee stopped her decent and looked back  
up to see herself smiling back. Her grin ate away at her, so chilling and full of venom.   
  
"What's going on?!" she screamed, raising a hand in front of her and gasping at the sight. Her  
eyes grew wide, looking through her hand, and a certain numbness filled her very core. She now  
knew that fate had dealt her a deadly hand, one she couldn't escape.   
  
Sighing in abhorrence, Dee reached out to steady herself against the rising wall. As her hand  
passed through it, Dee gasped in shock as she fell through it into another room. Trying to get her  
bearings, she glanced up to see that she was not alone.   
  
"Glad you could make it," Jen said, looking down to where Dee lay at her feet. "I wonder who'll  
be next?"  
  
"I just want to find those assholes that stole my body!" Smut Queen uttered, shivering at the  
memory of her last bath. She lost herself there.  
  
"Calm down, Lisa, there are still more of us out there. And don't forget Essy's out there, too,"  
Paola offered, glancing at the others.  
  
"Yeah, as a kitty with an adorable pink collar!" Amy added.  
  
"Let's keep moving," Lies stated.  
  
"Daisy! I wondered what happened to you," Dee muttered as the group began to move. "I hope  
Allie is alright."  
  
"The sooner we find the others, the sooner we can see how many of us are left. My guess is that  
there are about eight," Christy mentioned.  
  
"Damn, they got you, too, Christy? I wanted more Labyride fic, dammit!" Smut Queen clenched  
her teeth.   
  
"Good luck, guys," Lies whispered softly, thinking of those still among the living.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. Chapter 4

Dawn rolled over on her side, her eyes slowly opening to focus on SQ standing there. With a  
yawn, she stretched slowly, pulling the covers up around her neck. Such a good sleep, and yet  
she knew she had to get up. Finding it a bit odd that Lisa left without even so much as a glance  
her way, Dawn shrugged it off, grabbing the pillow and squishing it beneath her head.  
  
As her eyes closed lazily, taking in the last remaining minutes of sleep, a small wisp of fog moved  
leisurely along the wall. Snaking around and through the shadows, it slunk beneath her covers  
slowly taking shape.   
  
Dawn yawned once more, ready to finally face the day, but a sudden chill ran through her. Her  
body tensing, she heard soft breathing that wasn't there before. Holding her breath, she felt cold  
on her backside then breath fall against the back of her neck. Shivering involuntarily she flinched  
before feeling a hand grab her arm.  
  
"Where are you going pretty one?" a voice asked softly, pulling her back. "I think you should  
stay for the fun."  
  
Dawn tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened, pulling her closer. She could feel his chilling  
touch, his rippling muscles, his lips against the back of her neck. "Let me go!" she screamed,  
trying her best to fight him off.   
  
Rolling her over easily, he pinned her down and smiled at her precarious position. "Very nice," he  
smiled, letting his eyes roam over her form. "I'm Wes, sweetie. Looks like it's just you and me."  
  
"What do you want?" she asked.  
  
Wes smiled, his dark green eyes staring down at her. "I can feel your fear," he said softly, his  
smile widening. "It calls out to me," he mentioned. Dropping his head to brush his lips against  
her neck, Wes reflected on the game. He was a ladies man, but soon that would change.   
  
Dawn struggled beneath him, her cries for help in vain. Horror ran through her at the thought of  
what might happen, but his laughter echoed through the room and shook her soul. Her gaze  
catching his dark green eyes, she suddenly stilled as a deer caught in headlights.   
  
"Oh, so much better," he whispered, holding her entranced with just his eyes. His hands slid  
down to her waist as he bent down towards her once again. "One last brief breath, my dear, and  
your life is now mine," he whispered softly, brushing his lips against hers.  
  
Dawn felt her lips tingle, then begin to burn as he locked his mouth on hers, sucking her very will  
from her body. With her resistance fading into oblivion, Wes made his transformation, merging  
with her body and shoving her soul into the shadows of death.   
  
Flinging the covers back, Wes stood up, running his hand down the new body with a smile. "And  
Gavin thought he had all the fun?" he murmured. Turning around he crossed his arms and stared  
back at Dawn's soul hanging there in the balance. "Sorry sweetie, it was either you or me."  
Dawn watched her body walk out the door and felt a sudden emptiness. Her life had been cut  
short in the blink of an eye, all she wanted was to go home. Now, she lost everything. Feeling a  
swell of despair at never seeing RJ again, she wanted cry. Forced into the shadows, Dawn was  
broken.   
  
"Dawn," a voice spoke to her, easing her troubled senses.  
  
Dawn found herself surrounded by her friends. "We're dead, aren't we?" she asked softly, not  
wanting to believe it.  
  
"Not if we can reverse this," Amy added. "There are still more of us out there, they have to know  
what's going on."  
  
"Reverse it?" Paola asked, raising a questioning brow. "How can you reverse it?"  
  
"If I knew, I'd have done it already," Amy shot back and Lies nodded in agreement.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Allie ran through the corridor, glancing over her shoulder and hoping that she was fast enough.   
There in the shadows she could see the same dark eyes that frightened her only moments before.   
Finding something so vile and cruel in the innocence of a library, Allie was first shocked, then  
scared when it turned and grinned evilly at her.   
  
She could hear the steps behind her, the beast closing the distance as her heart drummed savagely  
in her chest. Her eyes searched her surroundings wildly as she shook from mere fright. Bursting  
through a door, she stopped in her tracks. "Shit!" she hissed, looking crazily around the room.   
She had to hide, there was no where else to go.  
  
Allie rushed forward, climbing into one of the many bins that held flour and other herbs for  
cooking. Pulling the lid shut, she waited, a hand covering her mouth shakily. Her chest tightened  
in fear as she heard the door slam open. Footsteps sounded on the floor and Allie watched the lid,  
silently mouthing the word please' over and over. Clenching her eyes shut, she heard a lid fly  
open, then another. . . and another. . .   
  
Light filtered into her confined space around the edges of the lid. Allie held her breath when the  
footsteps got closer. Another lid flipped open and Allie's heart stopped momentarily. Shit,  
they're getting closer!' her mind screamed. Her eyes focused on the lid where her feet lay. She  
didn't know what to do, she was lost. Allie clenched her teeth and waited. The moments seemed  
an eternity as they passed.  
  
Suddenly the lid flipped open and pair of dark eyes stared back.   
  
"Please don't hurt me, please. . ." Allie pleaded, her voice shaking uncontrolably.  
  
An amused grin lighting the dark face, a single hand reached in and grasped her ankle, pulling her  
out with ease even as her hands tried to stop her in vain. A single scream then silence. Allie was  
no more.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
How dare those wicked listians try and forbid his presence. He was the Goblin King, ruler of the  
Underground, stealer of hearts. . . and virtues. Smiling at that last thought, Jareth walked down  
the hallway in search of a listian that would take his side, if even just for a little while. Turning  
the corner, Jareth's eyes fell on a familiar form as his lips curled into a wicked grin.  
  
Sneaking stealthily up behind her, Jareth quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, relishing the  
squeal that escaped her lips. "It's been too long," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Yes. . ." she replied, turning around to face him. "I was hoping you would show up," she  
grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck.   
  
Jareth was shocked. Since when was the Smut Queen so happy to see him? But the shock soon  
wore off as her lips grazed his and he was lost to the thrill of passion. Holding her against him  
snugly, he growled softly as he looked her over. "Now Lisa, you don't want to start something  
you can't finish," he muttered, his hands grabbing her hips ferociously.  
  
"I can handle anything you dish out," she smiled, her eyes catching a single movement behind  
them. Seizing his lips once again, she did what she was to do; keep his attention.   
  
"How good of you to join us," a voice spoke from behind Jareth.   
  
Jareth immediately broke off the kiss, taking a step back away from Lisa when pain suddenly  
grasped him. Cringing as Lisa's hand held his *package* hostage, Jareth couldn't pull away fast  
enough for her to squeeze harder. "Let go!" he bit out, anger lacing his voice.   
  
"That's not very polite," she smiled, closing her hand tighter and laughing. "I dare say I held a  
King in my hands." Grinding his already tender bits more, Jareth clenched his teeth.  
  
"Jareth," the voice behind him spoke. "Would you like my help?"  
  
With a twist of his wrist, Jareth produced a crystal. Another squeeze and the crystal fell to the  
ground, shattering into a million pieces along with any escape. Wincing in agony, Jareth barely  
noticed the stranger as he peeked around at him.   
  
"Don't hurt the merchandise too much, Abby, I'll need it later," Gavin mentioned, an amused  
look lighting his age old features as he clenched the King's wrists and held them outstretched.   
  
"I'll see you all in hell!" Jareth shouted, perceiving a peculiar sensation blanketing his senses.   
Feeling as though he was being pricked by a thousand needles, Jareth held onto his life as  
tenaciously and any wild animal defending their sacred ground.   
  
"Your resistance is astounding, your majesty," Gavin commented. "Very challenging indeed.   
Makes you all the more worth it."  
  
"I'll not fall to vile creatures like you," Jareth spat, his knees shaking as Lisa ground him harder.   
Jareth held tight to every last shred of life he held dear. He wouldn't give up without a fight. The  
pin pricks intensified, setting his body on fire as they pounded against him. The hands on his wrist  
squeezed relentlessly, fingernails sinking into his tender flesh. As his precious blood dripped from  
his wrists, Jareth still would not surrender to the beasts that wanted to consume him.  
  
"Your daughter is dead," Gavin whispered, his breath falling across Jareth's ear.  
  
"You lie!!" Jareth shouted, his heart breaking that even a monster like this could find his one  
vulnerability.  
  
"Do I?" Gavin countered. "She may as well be. You must know, she will suffer greatly because  
of you, your highness. Such a lovely thing, isn't she? I bet she's as pure as snow."  
  
"You leave my daughter out of this!" he bit out.  
  
"Now, I can't do that, can I?" Gavin mentioned, a wicked smile crossing his face. "But you can,"  
he mentioned. "You could save her, Jareth. Give me what I want, or else."  
  
"You can't blackmail me," Jareth replied angrily.   
  
"So be it," Gavin answered. "She'll die knowing what a coward you were. Know this, Jareth, I  
will make her death seem like a cakewalk next to those that have died already. I will wrangle  
every ounce of pain from her I can. Just when she's ready to die, I'll bring her back to  
consciousness so that I can do it all again and I will be the last thing she sees," Gavin stated, the  
tone in his voice foreboding.  
  
"Don't harm her," Jareth said simply.  
  
"It falls to you. Her life is now in your hands," Gavin replied.   
  
Jareth knew what Gavin expected, but could he trust Gavin to leave her out of this? He had no  
other choice. His daughter was all that he held dear in this wild world. He had to keep her safe  
even if that meant the ultimate sacrifice. He could still hear their words, we need to keep you  
safe,' echoing through his mind.   
  
Dropping his head, Jareth's will shattered in the hopes of sparing his child from such pain.   
Slowly, he allowed his hold on life to slip and Gavin seized the opportunity for control. As his  
senses dampened to life, a single tear slid down his cheek as he shouted one name. . ."Kara!"   
Jareth's voice echoed through the hall, his last breath dying on his lips.   
  
Gavin lifted a hand and ran it through his new blonde hair. Yes, this was the perfect vessel for  
him. Smiling, he stared back at Abby. "We now know which one is the daughter," he purred, the  
voice of Jareth spilling forth. "You have caught yourself a snazzy looking body, Abby."  
  
"You're not so bad yourself, Gavin."   
  
"Abby?" he questioned, his eyes looking her up and down.   
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
"You can let go now," he remarked, dropping his gaze to where she still held Jareth's  
unmentionables in her hand.   
  
Smiling, she let go and watched Gavin strut his stuff. "Ooh. . . nice," she cooed, watching his  
posterior as he walked away.   
  
"Make sure you're there on time," he said, then stopped to peer back at her. "And stop watching  
my ass." he shot back, watching her face flush.   
  
"Sorry Gavin," she apologized.   
  
"No. It's Jareth now, and you best learn your name. . . Lisa," he smirked, twisting his wrist as  
Jareth did. Nothing happened. "Damn," he muttered angrily.  
  
"What?" she questioned.  
  
"The magic died with him," Gavin muttered angrily. "There are two left. One for the ceremony,  
the other will be a vessel. Make sure you are there with the others on time." Gavin walked off,  
the sound of his boots clicking against the stone floors.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mai stood in front of the mirror watching her reflection while running a brush through her dark  
hair. She thought about waking Selah, but what good would that have done? Mai turned her  
back and leaned against the counter, no longer intrigued with her image. Resting her chin on her  
brush, Mai let her mind wander to what she might do that day.   
  
Colors swirled together, twisting in and out until they finally punched through the restraint and  
took form. Reaching out from the mirror, a single hand began it's course set straight for the  
intended victim. Stretching fingers brushed wet hair before clamping down tight on her shoulder.   
  
Mairead screamed. Seeing the hand then glancing over her shoulder, her eyes grew wide at the  
vision. She was caught within a gaze of icy blue, unaware of the movement at her feet. All at  
once she felt them, hands clinging to her legs, pulling her down. Down she went, arms reaching  
out frantically to stop her descent. She had no chance, and she realized this a moment too late.   
Screaming, her heart beat violently in her chest as she found herself dangling from the ceiling of  
the room below, her only support being the hands that held her captive.  
  
"Hello," a voice purred, catching her attention. Icy blue stared back, the same wicked gaze that  
caught her only moments before.   
  
As the stranger walked around her, Mai could feel the eyes searching every inch of her as if  
appraising her like a fine jewel. When the stranger came to stop just before Mai, he smiled  
wickedly at her, chilling her very core.  
  
"You'll do," was all to be said as he leapt into the air colliding with Mai. As Mai's last scream  
faded into the shadows, the hands set her body down on her own feet. "Thanks," her voice  
echoed off the wall.   
  
Mai couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was this an out of body experience? If so, then why  
was her body leaving her behind? "No!" she heard herself scream as she watched her body turn to  
look at her.   
  
"Deal with cupcake. I'm alive, you're dead." A sinister smile crossed her face.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Where is she?" Gavin asked, enjoying his new look.   
  
"I have sent Eric to fetch her. Are you certain she is the only adequate one of use to us, Gavin?"  
Wes asked, Dawn's body standing proudly.   
  
"Jareth, you simple minded fool," Gavin replied, making a fist. "And yes, she will do nicely. I  
sensed her purity the first moment I saw her. Even her name commands respect as it is Hebrew.   
In Psalms it means musical command' if I am not mistaken." Jareth's lips curled up into an evil  
smile. "I really do enjoy this body," he mentioned.   
  
"What of the others, Jareth?" Wes asked, Dawn's voice replaced by his own deep, dark  
articulation.  
  
"We will deal with them," Gavin replied. "I now know one of the four is the daughter. She might  
be of use to us," he added, then took on a darker countenance. "The others. . . will make nice  
toys. I will take great pleasure in breaking the obnoxious one who dares stand against me." he  
growled viciously.  
  
Essy, in her newest form, backed away slowly having heard too much already. Without a  
thought, she backed right into Nick in the form of Daisy. With a short squeal, Essy had no time  
to react.  
  
"Well now, what have we here?" Nick said, grasping Essy's tail and hoisting her into the air.  
  
"That's the little twit that almost messed me up," Amy's body stepped forward. "Kill it. It's one  
of them," she muttered angrily.   
  
Essy raised her eyes to see Amy moving toward her. Last time she saw Amy, she nearly kicked  
her. Now, in a desperate attempt to save her life for the second time, Essy had no choice but to  
retaliate. Extending her claws, she swung her legs with utmost precision, nailing Nick instantly.   
As soon as her paws hit the floor, she ran, dodging the many hands that tried to catch her.   
  
"Nobody screws with a Sith Lord!" her voice rung out as she high-tailed it out of there.  
  
"She'll ruin our plans," Amy stated angrily.  
  
"The protectors will stand between us and them. There is nothing to stop us now," Gavin waved  
her away, pulling at his gloved hand. "These are really comfortable," he muttered softly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay, here goes nothing," Gemma said, placing her hand on the door handle. "Turn me on."  
  
"Bale isn't here to do that," Leelee snickered.   
  
Jade reached out and flipped a switch that sent her unit humming. "Well, so far so good," she  
said, flipping the switched on the others. "Piece of. . ."  
  
"Don't even finish that," Kara muttered, flipping the switch on Jade's unit.  
  
"Okay," Jade held her hands up in protest. "Got the traps, Lisee?" she asked.  
  
"Yup," came the reply. "Let's go," she added, a determined look on her face.  
  
Slowly they moved out, following Kara as she held an instrument in her hand. "This way," she  
said softly, watching the gauges fluctuate. Turning the corner, she stopped suddenly, her eyes  
growing wide with wonder. "Wow," she breathed.   
  
"Whoa. . . is that what I think it is?" Gemma asked.  
  
"Think of it as a field test," Jade replied, grabbing the handle of her thrower. "Heat em up," she  
whispered, flicking the switch on to illuminate her face. "Gemma, you and Kara confine it while  
Lisee gets the trap ready."  
  
"Right," Gemma whispered, not sure if she was ready for this. Standing next to Kara, she waited  
patiently until Kara nodded her head. Setting her finger lightly on the trigger mechanism,  
Gemma's positron collider sprung to life, sending a confinement stream right for the intended  
victim.  
  
Light twisting around him, his eyes caught Gemma's gaze as his mouth opened in horror. A  
second stream hit him, immobilizing him immediately.   
  
"Now Lisee!" Jade shouted, watching as Leelee pulled a chord from her belt.  
  
Leelee pulled down a set of goggles, setting a small box on the floor. With a smile, she pushed it  
with her foot, sending it rolling across the floor to stop just beneath their prey. "This one's for  
Essy," she muttered, stepping down on the button and triggering the trap. Light engulfed the  
prey, as the doors on the trap opened. "Shut em down when I close it," Leelee stated, readying  
herself. "Ready. . . set. . . now!" she shouted, pushing the button again.   
  
Kara and Gemma shut down their streams with satisfaction as the full torso apparition  
disappeared inside the trap. When all was quiet again, Gemma nudged the trap with her foot and  
smiled. They did it.  
  
"At least we know the equipment works," Leelee muttered, a smile tugging at the edges of her  
mouth. Smirking, she looked to the others and knew they had a chance. Her smirk disappeared  
immediately when she glanced down to see a cat rubbing against her leg. "Get the hell away from  
me," she said angrily, pushing the cat away with her foot.  
  
"Apprentice!" came a reply that shocked the four women.   
  
"Easy?" Jade questioned.  
  
"DCME Joyride!" came the responce.   
  
Leelee laughed. "What happened to you? Some big bad Sith Lord you are. Just a cute, cuddly,  
wuddly cat that would make such a nice chew toy for my puppies," she smirked.  
  
"What happened Ess?" Gemma asked.  
  
"Well, Germ, everyone's dead. They're stealing souls. The whole lot of them have taken over.   
Only five of you still survive," Essy answered, her tone not pleased.  
  
"Who's left?" Kara asked, thinking they were the last.  
  
"Selah," Essy replied, sitting down on her hind legs.  
  
"We have to get to her before they do," Jade cut in.  
  
"Too late," Essy shot back. "They have saved her for last."  
  
"But why?" Gemma asked, her voice unsure of anything.  
  
"Why didn't we think of this before," Kara muttered, her mind buzzing with ideas.   
  
"You don't think they would go that far, do you?" Jade asked, not at all amused. There was only  
one thing they could be saving her for.   
  
Kara nodded. "Sacrifice," she spoke softly.  
  
"This is SO not good," Jade muttered. "She fits the qualifications."  
  
"I don't know what scares me more, knowing that there are qualifications for a sacrifice, or the  
fact that you know them," Leelee said, shaking her head.  
  
"Movies and studying Aztec culture to an extent," Jade stated. "Anyway, they will use her to  
appease whatever god they can to seal the souls of those they stole in purgatory forever if we  
don't stop them."  
  
"You can't be serious?" Gemma muttered.   
  
"Quite," Kara replied.   
  
"You know, in one Aztec ceremony to the Sun God, the sacrificial person would lay there  
conscious while they cut out their heart. Once they had the heart out, they would toss the body  
off the side where it would then be dismembered, cooked and served as a delicacy." Jade  
mentioned.  
  
"I really didn't need to know that," Leelee replied, her face blank.   
  
Gemma stared at her with a look of shock.  
  
"What?" Jade asked, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"Maybe next time you'll spare us the gory details?" Gemma responded.  
  
"Next time think before you ramble, Jade." Kara uttered softly with a smile.  
  
"Oh, oops?" Jade said innocently, then turned serious. "We have to get to that room."  
  
"The one with the funny ceiling?" Essy asked, purring softly in Gemma's arms.   
  
"It all fits now," Kara mentioned. "They needed a portal, and that room has to be it."  
  
"Gavin won't let us near it that easily," Jade said, shaking her head. "Keep on your toes, you  
guys."  
  
"Let's get moving," Leelee said, snatching up the trap and looking around. "Kara, why don't you  
just whip up somewhere to stash these?" she smiled.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny," Kara muttered, knowing that magic wasn't her strong suit.   
  
"Just leave it and make Jareth get rid of it later," Gemma offered.  
  
"Good idea," Kara agreed.   
  
Leelee set the trap down, and followed the others off. Knowing that Jareth wasn't going to be  
too pleased with having to round them all up, Leelee smirked. Anything to make his life  
miserable.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Selah walked along beside Essy, unaware that evil was afoot. With a grin, she found it amusing  
that the Sith Lord would come fetch her from her reading. Not that she minded too terribly  
much, art history was not her idea of fun.   
  
"So what's going on?" she asked, looking at the other girl with questioning eyes.  
  
"Nothing," Eric said, Essy's voice fooling her instantly.  
  
As soon as Selah entered through a large archway, she felt an uneasiness fall upon her. There  
were all her friends and a few strangers staring back at her with wide eyes. Spooked, she stopped  
in her tracks only to have Eric push against her and force her ahead.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked again, fear gripping her like never before.  
  
"Just going to have a spot of fun," Jareth's voice replied, as Gavin came to stand before her.   
  
"Yousa worried mesa dere Jareth," she grinned, feeling a bit of relief ease her troubled mind.  
  
A gloved hand clasped Selah's wrist and a wicked smile played across Jareth's features. "Pity,"  
he said simply, yanking her into the room.  
  
Cheers and exclamations could be heard all around, as Selah found herself in a walking, breathing  
nightmare. As ropes were wound around her wrists and ankles, all she wanted was to be back  
and safe in her room. Looking around, she noted that not everyone was there and it struck terror  
into her soul. Unable to make even the slightest sound, Selah was lifted into the air as chanting  
began softly, then rose in crescendo.  
  
"Prepare our offering," Gavin said, raising his hands to the heavens. "We shall live again!"  
  
"Hold on there!" Selah shouted, trying to wiggle out of their grasp before being taken from the  
room into another smaller one. Her eyes adjusting to the light, an eerie glow settled about and  
gave life to the shadows that lined the wall.   
  
A figure stepped forward, immediately catching Selah's attention. A wicked smile crossing her  
face, she looked Selah up and down and nodded. "She'll do," she mentioned, pointing toward the  
pool of water sitting in the middle of the room.   
  
"Mai, look at me. You're not one of them, are you?" she asked, her eyes pleading.  
  
"Silly woman," she replied, her tone giving Selah the chills. "Cleanse her."  
  
Drug toward the water, Selah screamed as everyone seemed to be against her. Even her good  
friend Mairead didn't seem to be herself. What was going on? Why were they doing this to her?   
Cleanse her for what? Her mind buzzed with all the possibilities as those around her closed in,  
surrounding her in circle.   
  
Hands grasping cloth, Selah screamed as her clothing was ripped from her shaking body.   
Unaware of the man sneaking up behind her, Selah tried to get away when his arms wrapped  
around her tightly. Freaked that anyone would dare get close to her, let alone grab her, Selah  
brought her bound hands up only to send them crashing down against her captors arms.  
  
"Dammit woman, calm down!" Jareth's voice roared as Gavin lost his patience.  
  
"Jareth?" she questioned, her eyes still watching the others.  
  
"Shh. . ." he soothed, raising a gloved hand to her mouth.   
  
"What is this?" she asked, jerking her head away, but regrettably found a hand pushing it back. A  
scream died on her lips as a small square passed her lips and her mouth was shut rapidly. With no  
other alternative, Selah swallowed, the unknown substance sliding down her throat.   
  
"There now," he soothed, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "She will be more agreeable.   
Get it done. I have a few loose ends to tie up," he grinned, clenching his fists tightly. Walking  
from the room, he give one last glance over his shoulder to see Selah naked and emersed in the  
water. "Everything is going according to plan," he grinned.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Elsewhere. . .   
  
"Watch out!" Leelee screamed, watching Gemma duck just beneath the apparition. Letting the  
trigger slowly ease into its gentle cradle, ionized light flew like a lightening rod straight from the  
end of her wand to wrap itself around her prey. "It's going to move!"  
  
Kara shot her stream in the same direction, catching the victim easily. "Ha! Gotcha!" she called,  
smiling back at Leelee.  
  
"Gemma? Are you alright?" Jade asked, grabbing a trap from where Leelee had them stashed.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," she replied, shaking her head. Ectoplasmic residue flew from her body as she  
watched the creature that slimed her disappear inside the trap. "Bloody moron! That'll teach you  
to slime me, you evil git!"  
  
"Calm down Germ. It's taken care of," Leelee said, smiling at Gem's attire. "You look like a  
giant bugger!" she cackled.  
  
Gemma glared at her, then lifted an arm only to have more residue drip from her fingers.   
Suddenly struck with amusement of the situation, Gemma laughed and flicked some of the goo  
towards Jade, who ducked and it hit Essy instead. Gemma laughed harder.  
  
"I'll strike you down, Germ!" Essy hissed, extending her claws.  
  
"Oh calm down, Essy," Leelee mentioned, sweeping her up into her arms smoothly. "I know how  
to fix your problem."  
  
"How?" Essy asked, the big dark cat eyes staring back.  
  
Leelee smiled sweetly, extending her hands over a dark opening. Without hesitation, she released  
Essy to send her falling down into a barrel of cold water. Laughing as the cat shot out quickly  
and landed on all four paws, Leelee made note that cat's resembled drowned rats when wet.  
  
"I'm going to kill you, apprentice!" Essy shouted, shaking the tiny body and flinging water all  
over Leelee.  
  
"We're wasting time," Kara stated, pulling a PKE meter from her belt. "We're getting close."  
  
"Close to what though?" Leelee muttered, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.   
She watched the hall closely as a light breeze blew through, rustling the tapestries.   
  
"Stay sharp," Jade said, her green eyes following the indicator on the giga-meter.   
  
Footsteps sounded in front of them, laughter came from behind. While Leelee and Kara turned to  
face the way they came, Jade and Gemma kept their eyes on where they were going. Suddenly,  
silence filled the passageway making them all feel uneasy. A tiny whisper came from behind them,  
all four swinging around to face each other, their muscles tense.   
  
"What are you four up to?" Jareth's voice asked, making them turn to face him. Gavin smiled,  
looking each of the women over. He would take great pleasure in crushing them. "Well?" he  
asked, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
"Oh Jareth, it's you," Gemma said, relieved to find someone familiar.   
  
"Kara, do be a good girl and come here," he stated, looking at Leelee.   
  
Kara looked puzzled. Her father had never ignored her while talking to her before. Her blue-grey  
eyes stared back at him as though searching for some hidden answer. Had she done something to  
upset him?   
  
He took a step closer to the quartet, smiling at each of them before speaking yet again. "I really  
would like you all in my harem," he stated, flashing a wicked grin.   
  
"Funny Jareth," Jade shot back, shaking her head.   
  
"Don't you find me attractive?" he asked, stepping closer.  
  
"You aren't seriously asking her that, are you?" Kara asked, laughing at his sudden lack of  
memory concerning a certain Jedi.   
  
"You feeling alright, Jerry?" Leelee asked, scrunching up her nose when he looked at her funny.   
  
"Of course, and why do you call me that? I am your father," he shot back, extending a hand  
toward Leelee.  
  
"Dad!" Kara yelled.  
  
"Whoa. . . Just what have you been smoking, Jerry?" Leelee asked with a grin.  
  
Jade grabbed the saber from her belt. "You aren't Jareth," she stated, eying him carefully.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I am," he replied casually.  
  
"You didn't even know which one of us was Kara," Leelee shot back, holding her stick in her  
hands.  
  
"I was just toying with you. You are my followers," he replied, waving his hand as if dismissing  
them.  
  
"If you can tell me why you gave me this," Jade said, holding the saber in front of her, then  
continued, "then we'll believe you."  
  
Gavin stood there staring back at her, his face blank. He noted the short one moving up on his  
left, as the other three looked him over carefully. Without hesitation, he grasped Gemma, pulling  
her tight against him and clenching his long fingers around her neck.   
  
Gemma gasped for air, trying to claw at his hands that held her captive.   
  
"Stop or she dies," he sneered, smiling as they did what they were told. He was in control now.   
  
"Let her go," Jade said, her tone serious.  
  
"Now why would I do that?" he asked.  
  
"What did you do to my father?" Kara asked, still in shock.  
  
"I am your father now, get use to the fact, you brat," he spouted off angrily.  
  
"How dare you call me that?!" Kara shrieked, the loss of her father taking over her anger. "You  
killed my father, you bastard!" she screamed, charging him without a thought but rage. Knocking  
into him, she pushed Gemma out of the way and shoved him against the nearest wall. As he fell  
to the floor, she was there, grabbing him harshly and wanting to kill him like he did her father.  
  
"You're damaging your father's body," he said, wiping blood from his lip.   
  
"Then so be it, you monster!" she cried out, landing another jab to his ribs.  
  
Jade grabbed Kara and yanked her off. "He's right," she said, trying to calm Kara down before  
doing something rash. "We won't have a chance of returning your dad to his body if you kill it."  
  
Kara clenched a fist. "Just let me hurt him a little," she growled, glaring back to her father's  
body.   
  
"Calm down," Gemma added. "Besides, he doesn't have what it takes to fill Jareth's shoes," she  
said, glancing to where Gavin was standing. "The listians would see right through him."  
  
"Is that so?" he asked, his eyes looking them over carefully.   
  
"Yes," Leelee retorted, shaking her head in disgust. "At least we can stop you."  
  
"Are you so certain?" he asked, raising a brow.  
  
"I don't like the way he said that," Kara muttered.  
  
"Me either," Jade added, glancing over her shoulder to cover their back.  
  
"Oh shit!" Leelee yelled, her eyes growing wide as she watched an apparition rise in front of  
them. She held her breath as it came to its full height, towering above. "Guys!"  
  
Jade watched as another foe seemed to raise from nowhere behind them. They were trapped, and  
the only way out was to fight. "Kara! Behind you!" she yelled, spinning to face the demon.  
  
Kara tore her eyes away from the despicable creature in her father's form and swung around to  
find herself faced with evil. Without hesitation, Kara triggered her pack, sending a beam of light  
streaming out toward it. . . and missed.  
  
"Leelee! Duck!" Gemma yelled, sending a bolt of ionization flying just past Leelee's head.   
"Bugger! It's too fast!" she called out, shaking her head as Leelee's beam just missed the beast.  
  
"Jade! Now!" Kara shouted, dropping to her knees to give her a clear shot.  
  
Jade threw her beam, catching the tail end of it and losing it again. A sudden gust of energy sent  
her flying backwards.   
  
"Jade!" Kara screamed, having had enough of this. Standing, she threw her stream and hit it dead  
on. "You should never tick me off!" she yelled, glancing to where Gavin last stood. "Dammit,  
he's gone!"  
  
"Don't worry about him! We have larger issues to take care of!" Leelee shouted. Sizing up her  
opponent, she took aim and threw her beam. Smiling, she watched the beam wrap around it,  
immobilizing it for the time being.   
  
Jade got to her feet, shook her head and smirked. "Mind if I borrow this? Thanks," she said, not  
giving Leelee time to react. Grabbing a trap from Leelee's stash, she sent it rolling across the  
floor. "Get them together!" she shouted over the buzzing of the streams.  
  
Leelee did her best to lead the beast to where she wanted with almost no effect. "Gemma!" she  
called, then watched another beam twist elegantly around and entwine with hers.   
  
"Ready!" Kara shouted, watching as they brought the other closer. . . closer. . closer still.   
"Hurry! I can't hold him much longer!" she screamed, watching her prey start slipping from it's  
confines.   
  
Jade stepped on the switch, light shooting up and engulfing the apparitions, sucking them down  
into the trap where they would wait to finally be let out. As the trap closed, Kara sighed in relief,  
then leaned against the wall.  
  
"What are we going to do?" she whispered, knowing that none of them had ever thought of what  
was to come. They had to face friends and enemies. They are them and them are they. A person  
could go insane with the thinking, but in all rationality, their friends were now their enemies.  
  
"Don't worry Kara, we'll think of something," Gemma offered, walking over to her.   
  
"I already have," Jade replied, glancing at the object in her hand. Without looking up, she could  
tell that she had their attention. "They need the portal to gain access to this world. They're going  
to sacrifice an innocent, Selah, to seal the portal forever and stay here in this reality. The portal's  
energy is the key, so naturally, we take away their key, they lose."  
  
"It won't be that simple," Leelee shook her head. "How do we know what the portal's energy  
is?"   
  
"Let me worry about that, you just make sure to stay in one piece," Jade retorted, reaching down  
and pulling a knife from her boot.   
  
"Why are you carrying knives now?" Leelee asked.  
  
"Every woman has to be careful now days," she replied, digging at a stone in the floor.  
  
"What are you doing? Are you mental?" Gemma asked.  
  
"Testing a theory," Jade muttered, pulling away the broken stone.   
  
"What is that?" Leelee asked, glancing at the swirling light that emanated from a jewel that sat in  
the middle of rock.   
  
"The key," Kara said, bending down to get a closer look.   
  
"Why do you think Gavin could just vanish so easily?" Jade asked, prying the jewel up carefully.   
Pulling it free, she looked up at them.   
  
"Because as Jareth, he has his magic," Gemma offered, her eyes watching the strange lights.  
  
"No. He doesn't have dad's magic. If he did, he could have used it against us at any time," Kara  
added, just now grasping what Jade was getting at.  
  
"Right," Jade replied, sliding the jewel into her pocket and replacing the knife in her boot. "But  
now we have the upper hand."  
  
"How do you figure that? They have killed everyone. There are far more of them than there are  
of us," Leelee retorted.  
  
"But we have the source of their energy," Jade smiled, patting her pocket.   
  
"That tiny thing?" Gemma asked, amusement in her voice.  
  
"Yes," Jade replied simply. "I saw him look down at the floor just before they appeared," she  
said, indicating the trap. "Then that nice little flight there. . ." she rubbed her shoulder and  
continued, "and I landed right on it, imagine that."   
  
"Think he planned it?" Gemma asked.  
  
"No, he couldn't have. Maybe he was just out here to check it, and found us by accident. . ."  
Kara trailed off. "Now it's a race against time," she uttered, the gravity of the situation embedded  
into her very words.  
  
"Let's go. He'll waste no time now that he knows we are coming," Jade said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gavin strode into the room, glancing to the gathering that had already amassed there. "Retrieve  
the girl," he called out, clenching his fist tightly.  
  
"So soon, Gavin?" Wes asked, enjoying his new body. When Gavin turned to stare back at him,  
Wes shuddered. "I mean, Jaret,h my lord."  
  
"Wes, that body doesn't suit you," Gavin muttered, leering at the curves of Dawn's body.   
  
"It was a challenge," Wes replied, lips turning up into a wicked grin.   
  
"Dammit! Somebody get the girl so we can begin!" Gavin shouted, Jareth's voice echoing off the  
walls. He could sense the energy starting to pull in the spirits he wanted to lock into purgatory.   
Not sure how far behind the others were, he could do only one thing and that was to rush the  
ritual on, hoping to finish before the troublemakers finally made it there. They didn't stand a  
chance.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Selah stared off into nowhere as hands rubbed over her body, cleansing her skin to purity. Her  
thoughts were their thoughts. Her will had become their will. Even now, as the soft fabric was  
lowered over her body, she could think of nothing but being one with the higher spirit.   
  
Her hair was released, cascading down to fall just below her shoulders. Selah remained still as a  
brush was pulled through her mane, then weaved with golden threads as she was finally made  
ready for the ceremony. Getting to her feet, she followed those who cleansed her, Mai at her  
right, toward the room where her destiny awaited.  
  
Walking through the doorway, all eyes fell on Selah as she walked slowly toward the alter that  
had been erected in the center of the room. Her gaze caught Jareth's just briefly, as she glanced  
toward the outer wall and that struck puzzlement. Her mind buzzed with what she had been told,  
and what they expected of her.   
  
"Come," Gavin said, extending a gloved hand to her and helping her to sit upon the alter. "You  
now begin your journey," he said softly, lying her down and positioning her head perfectly on the  
stone. "Brothers, gather around. The new age is at hand."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	5. Chapter 5 - End

"What the hell?" SQ asked as she watched Selah moved around like a doll.   
  
"Are they doing what I think they're doing?" Dee asked, floating up beside Dawn.  
  
"They're going to sacrifice her," Dawn breathed.  
  
"Oh we can't have that," Jareth muttered, watching from the shadows.   
  
"But what can we do?" Mai asked.  
  
Jareth extended an arm as he floated in space, twisted his wrist and smiled when a crystal  
appeared on his fingertips. Blowing softly on it, the crystal floated through the air, light as a  
bubble, and straight for Selah.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Selah's hazel eyes stared up at the ceiling, noting the striking colors that could be found there. A  
sudden movement caught her eye, and she found herself looking at her dreams, her hopes. . . her  
friends. At that moment, the illusion of the perfect destiny was shattered and she screamed.   
Selah sat up quickly, screaming in fright as whom she thought was Jareth grabbed her and held  
her tight.   
  
"Get the rope!" he shouted.  
  
Selah put up a good fight, kicking, screaming, biting. . . but soon found herself bound at the  
wrists and ankles, stretched out like a trophy. She felt a hand run up the inside of her leg and  
shivered as it's fingertips traced the joining of her leg and body. Shuddering, she was glad when  
Jareth pushed the hand away from her and yet the comfort faded when she caught his dead gaze.   
  
Glancing around to those who stood just outside the perimeter, Selah could see the faces of her  
friends, each staring back at her with a thirst of blood in their eyes. "What's wrong with you  
people?!" she shrieked, watching Jareth approaching. His expression scared her more than she  
would have realized as he barely acknowledged her presence.   
  
As Jareth neared her, she caught a glint of light off something shiny in his hand. When she looked  
closer, she saw it was a dagger. Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled against the ropes, her  
muscles tense from fear. She cringed when the knife moved over her and screamed out in panic.   
  
  
Gavin stepped up once again, dagger in hand as he began to recite archaic scripts, talking in an  
ancient dialect. Moving the dagger up and down as though covering her body with a field, Gavin  
brought it back in front of him. Looking down, he smiled as he thought about how much pain he  
was going to ring from her.   
  
Selah closed her eyes, hoping that she was just having a nightmare. A cold unlike any other  
gripped her senses as she felt her skin burning in an instant. When a searing pain shot from her  
hand up her arm, Selah cried out in distress, her eyes shooting open to see her blood dripping off  
the end of the dagger. Horror filled her as she watched the dagger lower and slowly pierce her  
skin again, moving sluggishly along her arm filling to fill it with the same searing pain.  
  
Selah pulled against the restraints only to find they didn't give an inch. Her arms burned, the  
shock numbing the pain slightly as tears streamed down her face. Why was he doing this?   
Opening her mouth to speak, she raised her eyes to catch him moving towards her legs. "No!"  
she screamed, her eyes pleading. An instant later, her voice cried out in anguish as the cold steel  
ripped through one leg, then the other. She felt as though she was slowly dying; her blood  
trickling down her limbs.  
  
Selah's body shook, her tears falling quickly as the pain tore through her. She could barely find  
the courage to look back to him again, only to see the dagger poised and ready to strike. "No. . .  
Please?!" she screamed, knowing that this last blow would be the one to end her life. Jareth's  
eyes caught hers and in that instant, Selah knew he wasn't the same. She knew he was going to  
kill her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on!" Leelee yelled, catching a glimpse of Gemma over her shoulder. They moved quickly  
through the halls, blasting everything in sight.   
  
"We're almost there!" Kara shouted.  
  
"Let's just hope we make it in time!" Gemma shot back.  
  
"We will. I know it!" Jade called, reaching the door.  
  
It was locked.  
  
"No!" Kara screamed, hearing voices from inside. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Stand back!" Gemma shouted, moving toward the door. Pulling a small wire from her pocket,  
she pushed a wad of grey clay against the door. "I'm explosives expert of this crew. Everybody  
down!" she yelled, running from the door.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An explosion rocked Gavin's concentration momentarily as he fell to the floor. Getting to his  
feet, he brushed himself off and resumed his position. Glancing down at his victim, her red blood  
ebbing slowly from her body, he smiled wickedly. "Now the time is at hand to seal your fate, and  
give us the life we fought for," he muttered, his eyes shutting as his hands raised the dagger.   
"Take this offering of flesh and blood. . . grant us life," he called out, his smile widening as the  
grip on the dagger tightened.  
  
Selah breathed what she thought would be her last breath, as her eyes watched the dagger that  
was held right above her abdomen. Losing all hope, she held still, her breath falling gently as her  
aching limbs were warmed by her own blood. She saw him tense, ready to strike and slowly  
closed her eyes. She didn't want to watch her own death.  
  
"NOOO!!" a voice screamed.  
  
Selah's eyes snapped open to see Jareth still above her, but his expression had changed. The  
uncaring face was replaced by a look of fear. His grip tightened once again, sending a shudder  
through Selah's body. She couldn't take much more of this torture. In an instant, Jareth was no  
longer staring down at her, dagger in hand. A wave of relief swept through her until she  
remembered that she was already bleeding plenty.  
  
"Get off me!" Gavin bellowed, pushing at his attacker with brute force. He could see the dagger  
out of the corner of his eye, lying on the floor where it landed from the assault. Reaching a hand  
out, his fingertips brushed it lightly, only to have his hand yanked back by his assailant.  
  
Leelee rushed forward, knocking various people out of her way, trying to get to Selah. Reaching  
the alter, she gasped, noticing all the blood. Afraid to move her in her present condition, Leelee  
decided she had to get her out of there to safety. She quickly looked around to see Gemma and  
Kara fighting off those who stole their friends.   
  
Gemma fought with all the tenacity of a wild animal. She wouldn't give in. Kicking Dawn's  
torso, she sent Wes flying backwards only to have another take his place. Swinging with all her  
might, she growled fiercely when Essy's hand clutched her tightened fist, a vile smile crossing her  
lips as Eric thought he won. Before he knew it, Gemma raised her leg and with a smugness all her  
own and come down on his knee. Eric's grip faltered as he fell to the ground in agony.  
  
"Sorry bout your body Ess," Gemma muttered beneath her breath.   
  
Kara smacked Mairead's body with her stick, then pushed her backwards. Turning around  
quickly, she caught Spidey's body, landing a right hook. "There are too many of them!" she  
called out, sending Spidey crashing to the floor.   
  
"Just hold out an iccle bit longer Kara!" Gemma called back.   
  
"Leelee?" Selah's breath came softly, her eyes barely open. "I must be dreaming," she said, her  
voice a hushed whisper.   
  
"Hold on Selah, we'll get you out of here!" Leelee shot back, gripping the ropes around her feet.   
Pulling and tugging carefully so as not to harm Selah more, Leelee finally got her feet untied, then  
moved up to work on her arms. "Selah, wake up. Stay with me, Selah," Leelee said, softly  
patting Selah's cheek and noticing how cold it was. "No!" she shouted.   
  
Jade glanced up at Leelee just long enough to give Gavin the upper hand. Grabbing the dagger,  
he flung her off, immediately pinning her beneath him. Smiling cruelly, he held the dagger at her  
throat, ready to slice. "Told you I would win," he stated smugly, barely noticing the chaos  
surrounding him.   
  
"You haven't won yet," Jade shot back, pushing against him.   
  
"From this view I have," he smiled. "How about I cut your throat now and end both our  
troubles?" he asked, his eyes flitting across her briefly.  
  
"Oh sure, why not? Don't you always take the easy way out, Gavin?" she said, antagonizing him.   
The cold steel touched her skin, and all she could do was think of how vile a creature he was.   
"You'll never be half the man Jareth was," she added through clenched teeth.   
  
"That sounds like a challenge," he grinned, his grip tightening. "I like a good challenge," he  
breathed, his breath falling across her face, repulsing her, as he yanked her to her feet. Turning  
around, he glanced towards his sacrifice to see an empty slab. "Damn you!" he shouted angrily,  
his eyes taking in the scene around him.  
  
Jade laughed. "How does it feel to lose, Gavin?" she asked.   
  
"You'll soon find out!" he bit out, striking her across the cheek. "If I'm going to die, I'll take you  
with me," he said angrily, then smiled an evil smile. "When I'm through with you, you'll beg me  
to kill you."  
  
"Jade!" Kara yelled.  
  
"Smash it Kara! Smash the stone!" Jade yelled back, suddenly catching Gavin's attention.  
  
Kara stared questioningly. Jade had the stone, she knew that. Noticing the predicament Jade  
seemed to be in, she decided it was a ploy to stall him for time. Hoping Jade knew what she was  
doing, Kara reached into her pocket, her expression serious as she concentrated.  
  
Gavin looked across the chaos to watch Kara pull a small, perfect stone from her pocket. That  
stone was their livelihood and he would stop at nothing to keep it safe. He caught Kara's gaze  
and pulled Jade closer, the knife against her throat. "Smash it and I'll kill her!" he called out,  
watching Kara closely.  
  
Kara stopped abruptly, her hand poised to send it crashing down. She couldn't risk her friend.   
Holding the stone in her hand, she watched her father's form crossing the room slowly. There  
had to be a way out of this. Dropping her hands, she clasped them behind herself, hoping that for  
once, her magic would work the way it was supposed to.  
  
"Give me the stone," he hissed, stopping right in front of her. Arching an elegant brow, he sized  
up his opponent, the daughter of the noble Goblin King.  
  
"What guarantee do I have that you will keep your word?" she asked, her hands still behind her.  
  
The knife punctured tender flesh, sending a droplet of blood down Jade's neck. With a wicked  
smile, Gavin looked at Kara, seeing her downfall being loyalty to her friends. "You have no  
choice," he uttered, amused that she would try to outsmart him.  
  
"Fine," Kara retorted, staring icily back at him and bringing her hands before her. "Pick a hand,"  
she mused.  
  
"Are you all insane?!" he growled. "Give me the damn stone!" he bit out, loosening his grip just a  
might.  
  
"You bloody git!" Gemma's voice called from behind him.  
  
"Gemma no!" Kara screamed, as she watched the knife at Jade's throat. Reaching out, she caught  
his arm, pulling with all the strength she had.   
  
Gemma rammed him in the back, bringing him to his knees just as Jade slipped from his grasp.   
Landing on top of him, Gemma brought her arm down hard across his face, to halt any further  
attack.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen," Leelee uttered sadly, looking down at her battered  
friend. Blood oozing from too many abrasions, Leelee didn't know what to do. She had already  
hidden her away from the fiends that did this, but it wasn't enough. Selah was dying, and all she  
could do was watch. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly, not sure she could handle watching her  
die right in front of her.   
  
Leelee dropped her head in defeat. They were supposed to save her, save their friends, and all  
they have done was show up too late. A gentle breeze blew across her cheek and startled her,  
causing her to look up. There were her friends looking back at her with such warmth. Their  
souls shining through the darkness to light her hopes once again.   
  
"Stand back, Lisa," Jareth's voice surrounded her, as he moved closer.   
  
"It's good to see you, Jareth," Leelee replied.  
  
"It would be better if you would get out there and get me my body back. Go, I'll take care of  
Selah," he stated, his eyes catching hers with the very same smugness he always had. Leelee  
found it refreshing.   
  
"You got it, tights!" Leelee answered, smiling brightly. Clutching her stick in her hands, she  
flipped the switch and headed for the door.   
  
Entering back into the midst of things, Leelee caught a glimpse of Essy's body out of the corner  
of her eye, just in time to duck. With one swing, Eric landed face down on the floor. "Don't  
mess with me!" she muttered angrily.   
  
"Lisee! Shoot the ceiling!" Jade shouted, pointing upwards to the darkening swirl of color.   
  
Leelee lifted her wand, ready to ignite it and send a beam of light to the darkening ceiling. All at  
once, her finger just grazing the trigger, a hand grasped her arm roughly, pulling it from the rod  
and turning her around viciously. Gasping as she came face to face with Amy, she tried to bear in  
mind that her friend was no longer; Amy was dead.   
  
"We'll not have that," Amy's voice muttered, cruel eyes staring back.   
  
Leelee growled angrily. "You are NOT Amy, you bastard!" she screamed, bringing her left hand  
up to make contact against her assailant. When the grasp on her arms dissipated, Leelee  
immediately turned on her, striking her once again to send her friend's body falling to the floor.   
"Not nearly as tough as the REAL Dominatrix of Death, you wuss!" she muttered angrily, once  
again grasping her wand and pointing it upward.  
  
"Shoot it, Leelee, shoot!" Kara yelled, running her elbow back to connect with Daisy's torso.  
  
Leelee settled her finger on the trigger, hoping that it would work out the way they planned.   
Sending her beam toward the ceiling was the easy part, holding it there would be crucial.  
  
"Stop her!" Jareth's voice shouted, as Gavin pushed Gemma from his body. Getting up quickly,  
Gavin spied the discarded dagger and swiftly snatched it up. He would make them all pay, if it  
was the last thing he did.   
  
"Kara!" Jade shouted, motioning her to join Leelee's struggle. "It's our only hope!"   
  
Kara commenced to sending an ionization beam straight up, adding to Leelee's attack. "It's  
working!" she shouted, watching the dismal darkness slowly being twisted and lightened. It was  
still not enough, she knew this. "Gemma!" she called out, watching as a third beam flew toward  
the ceiling.  
  
Gemma held tight to her ionization wand, determined to do everything in her power to get things  
back to normal. Her eyes narrowed at Spidey's body as she slowly neared. "Stay back, I warn  
you," Gemma growled, her tone ferocious.  
  
"Or what?" Danny's deep voice asked, a cruel smile lighting Spidey's face.  
  
"I'll blast you into oblivion, you wicked git!" Gemma muttered angrily, indicating her wand. "I  
bet I could toast the hair right off your bloody head!"  
  
Danny seemed to consider this, putting a hand on his Spidey hip, stopping long enough for  
Gemma to kick him hard, sending him sailing backwards.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What's happening?" Lies asked, as she felt her soul being tugged.   
  
"Jareth, hurry up. I don't think we can fight this," Amy mentioned, as a sensation of being pulled  
filled her.   
  
Jareth ran his hands along Selah's wounds, a light emanating from them. Even in death, his magic  
lived on, strong and powerful. "You can't rush proper mending," he said, his eyes closed as he  
concentrated.  
  
"You're going to have to do something," Dawn muttered.  
  
"AHHH!" Daisy screamed, as she was pulled from the santuary of the small room and right  
through the wall.   
  
"Dammit!" SQ shouted. "Where did she go?"  
  
"The time is coming to an end. Maybe they got through. . ." Christy started, but her voice died  
quickly, as she too was pulled from the group. One by one, the listians were yanked from the  
room, their cries of sudden anxiety dying instantaneously.   
  
"Hurry up!" Amy bit out, a sense of loss suddenly falling on her senses.   
  
"Shut up woman!" Jareth bit back. He turned his attention toward her and watched with wide  
eyes as she fought to stay. In the end, he found himself to be the last remaining with Selah. "Not  
now, dammit!" he growled, the tugging growing with each passing moment. "She's not ready!"   
  
No matter how much he wanted to stay, Jareth lost his hold and flew backwards toward the wall.   
His eyes flitted across Selah, his heart couldn't bear it if she didn't pull through this. Passing  
through the stone, he found himself surrounded by the others, watching as three beams of  
incredible light rose to toward the sky.  
  
"Where's Gavin?!" Leelee shouted as she glanced around. Spotting Jareth and the others, she  
smiled.   
  
"Find your bodies and take them back!" Jade shouted. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled the  
true stone from it's hiding place. This one thing remained. Jade looked around for something to  
smash it, forgetting the saber attatched to her belt in all the chaos, her eyes landed on piece of  
rock. Grabbing it, she set the stone down, raising the rock.  
  
A hand clasped her wrist, halting her plans and swinging her around to stare back into Jareth's  
eyes. "You will pay for this," Gavin growled, his hand reaching down and picking up the stone.   
"All this time, you had it."  
  
"Surprise," Jade muttered, as she tried to pull free. Her eyes caught the glint of the dagger and  
somewhere deep inside knew she was as good as dead. "Go ahead, kill me you no good  
womprat!" she yelled. Jade pushed against him in an attempt to free herself from his iron grip.   
No such luck.   
  
"Why not find a nice quiet spot?" he whispered softly, pushing against her roughly. "I want to  
have a bit of fun with my new toy," he grinned.   
  
"I'd rather die!" she spat.  
  
"Oh you will," he grinned. Clamping a hand across her mouth, he drug her from the room, ready  
to show her ultimate pain. When she bit his hand, he wrapped his long fingers around her neck,  
having had enough of her arrogance.  
  
Jareth looked around to find his body, but anger grew at the sight of the monster manhandling one  
of his listians. That was his job! Moving silently through the room, he glanced back to his  
daughter with a smile. "She has my disposition," he mused, as she decked another opponent.  
  
"Let go!" Jade screamed, fighting him every step of the way.   
  
"Not on your life," he hissed, pushing open the door and shoving her inside. His hand found the  
switch and instantly illuminated the room with light. He clutched the dagger, his eyes looking her  
over.   
  
Jade flipped the switch on her wand, leveling it at Gavin. "Stay back," she muttered angrily.   
  
"Don't be ridiculous. I know you won't harm your precious Goblin King," he shot back, stepping  
closer. "I had thought you wouldn't give me much trouble, but now I see that was a misguided  
judgment on my part."  
  
"Shut up!" Jade shouted.  
  
Gavin shook his head, curling his lips up into a mocking smile. "Not until I win," he countered as  
he watched her closely. He held the stone in his hand, taunting her with it. "Oh the others may  
well get their bodies back and live again, but I will triumph. Out of all this suffering, they will lose  
their king and one of their own."   
  
"Not in this lifetime," Jade muttered, her eyes on the stone.  
  
"Then in the next!" he growled, reaching out and grasping her arm harshly. Gavin smiled when  
she cried out in pain and squeezed harder. He would take great pleasure in destroying her. With  
an animalistic growl, he pushed her hard against the wall, pinning her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What's going on?!" Danny uttered, feeling a coolness brush his cheek just before a clasp on his  
shoulder.   
  
"I want my body back!" Spidey yelled, her eyes taking on a fierce look.  
  
"It's going to blow!" Gemma shouted, holding her beam steady as she watched the darkness  
lighten and turn white. In an instant, it exploded, showering the room in a bright white light.  
  
When the smoke cleared, all that was left of the ceiling was hole. Debris littered the ground and  
all around lay the bodies of the UGLies. Minutes passed, not a soul moved until finally, pushing  
herself up, Leelee glanced around. One by one, the UGLies moved, a wondrous sight to those  
who fought to help them.  
  
Leelee coughed. "Is everyone okay?" she asked.  
  
"Hot damn! I'm back!" SQ roared, jumping up with a smile.   
  
"Me too!" Mairead added.  
  
"Crikey! This is wicked good!" Dee cackled, stretching her arms.   
  
"Shit howdy!" Amy exclaimed.  
  
"I'm here," Allie said.  
  
"Me too," Daisy, Jen and a few others added.   
  
Lies looked around, her heart saddened. Though she had her life back, she wasn't the same. She  
had been violated, and somewhere deep inside it scared her that life could be so easily stolen. Her  
thoughts went to her little girl, Cher, who she loved most of all and wondered what would have  
happened if it turned out the way it was planned. She couldn't bear to think of her precious  
daughter all alone in the world. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned against the wall, tears  
welling in her green eyes. She was alive.   
  
"What's wrong Amy?" Dawn asked, noticing Amy's change in demeanor.   
  
Amy sat still, her gaze raising to meet Dawn's, her dark eyes welling with tears. "I just realized  
all that I could have lost. I have the most important thing back, my life," she smiled faintly, tears  
falling silently down her cheeks.   
  
Her statement shook the rest of them, as the seriousness of the situation finally sunk in. They  
could have all died. They could have been lost to the world, their future taken from them in the  
blink of an eye.   
  
Leelee looked at Gemma, then to Kara. "Where's Jareth?" she asked as she continued to look  
around.   
  
"Um. . . where's Jade?" Kara asked, getting a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Gavin!" Gemma growled. "We have to find her."  
  
"I'm going after Selah," Leelee said, getting to her feet. "You guys find her, okay? And do me a  
favor?"   
  
"What?" Kara asked.  
  
"Kill Gavin," she muttered angrily.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Let the fun begin, my pet," Gavin whispered, sliding his hand down to her waist. Devious eyes  
watched his prey with brute lechery. "Why do you fight? You have already lost," he whisphered,  
his lips close to her ear.   
  
"Screw you!" she bit out.  
  
Gavin smirked maliciously. "That is the idea," he stated, cocking his head to one side. Gavin  
grasped the zipper of the overalls she was wearing, slowly moving it downward.  
  
Jareth hovered in the shadows, disgusted by the one called Gavin. How dare he treat his listians  
this way. Anger rose as he watched this cad using his body to assault Jade. How could he help  
her? He was bodiless. Jareth's mind buzzed as he thought of what to do.   
  
Jade took the opportunity and lashed out at Gavin, knocking him backwards. A second later,  
when she realized it worked and he was now on the floor, she ran. A strangled cry shattered the  
silence as she fell forwards, strong fingers wrapping tight around her ankle.   
  
Rolling onto her back, she kicked at him with her free leg, catching him in the shoulder. His grip  
tightened and she found herself being pulled back. Screaming, she bit his hand as he grabbed her  
shoulder.   
  
Gavin, angered by her actions, struck her once again across the face. "You damn wench!" he  
shouted, pinning her down. "I'll make you behave," he grinned, holding her arms above her head.   
  
  
Jade's eyes fell to the stone he gingerly set down beside him. She had to get that stone, but how?   
His hand slid inside her suit and she wanted to scream, but who would hear her? She ignored his  
touches, his lips, his words. . . all that mattered was getting that stone.   
  
Jareth couldn't stand it. He moved closer, a random plan formed in his mind, and stopped  
instantly as he witnessed a tear sliding down her cheek. So much pain, and for what? He should  
have stopped this whole thing back when they got here. He knew this house was nothing but  
trouble, and yet he let them stay. They had even warned him of the treachery, and yet he did  
nothing. With a new determination, Jareth proceeded. He would take his body back by force if  
necessary.   
  
"Get the hell off my listian!" Jareth's voice roared angrily, shoving at his own body, amazed that  
he actually made physical contact. His eyes narrowed as he faced himself, his body rising in front  
of him.   
Gavin lost his cool, swinging around to glimpse the Goblin King staring angrily back. "Fool," he  
muttered, regaining his composure. "I have it all, and you have nothing. You are dead," he  
sneered.  
  
A sudden hiss from behind, startled him and caused him to turn around. There stood Jade,  
forgotten lightsaber in hand. His eyes widened when he realized where she was. "Don't!" he  
bellowed, extending his hand.  
  
"Go to hell!" she screamed, sending the saber straight down, shattering the stone instantly.   
  
Gavin convulsed, his life stolen from him. He couldn't hold on to this body now that he lost. He  
could feel the emptiness inside him grow, the darkening existence of loneliness filling him once  
again. His eyes fell on Jade. Damn his ego for thinking he could do anything he pleased withouth  
considering the consequences. All was lost now, his hopes shattered in a single moment.   
  
Jareth took control of his body, breathing in the pureness of life, existence. Flexing his fingers,  
Jareth pulled his gloves on more securely, then looked up. His heart wrenched in his chest, the  
image of her sitting against the wall, her head on her knees, was simply unbearable.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Selah, wake up," Leelee said softly. Reaching out, she gently patted Selah's cheek, as her eyes  
looked over the healed skin where blood red wounds used to be. Jareth did it, but was he in time?   
"Come on, Selah, wake up," she uttered again.  
  
"Huh?" came a soft reply, as Selah slowly opened her eyes. "Where am I?" she asked, shielding  
her eyes from the light.  
  
"Doesn't matter. Can you stand?" Leelee asked, helping her to sit up. She watched as Selah  
stood, weaving just a bit, but able to hold her own. "You're lucky Jareth likes you," Leelee said,  
a wide smile crossing her face.  
  
"What are you talking about? Jareth? Nah, he's still ticked about the divorce," Selah shot back,  
grinning. She raised her hand to her forehead. "I had the strangest dream. . . nightmare actually,"  
she mentioned as she followed Leelee from the room.  
  
"Selah!" Mai called out, waving like a maniac.   
  
"What's wrong with you? You act as though you've not seen me in forever," she laughed, then  
looked down at herself. "Eek! What am I wearing?!" she exclaimed, her hand falling to the soft,  
blood stained fabric. "Please tell me this isn't mine," she muttered, feeling a bit faint.  
  
"It's alright, it was, but Jareth fixed it," Leelee rambled.   
  
"What? In my dream, he tried to kill me," she smirked. Catching the odd gazes she was getting,  
Selah shook her head. "No, it didn't happen. I just imagined it."  
  
"If you think so," Jen laughed.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kara followed Gemma silently down the hall. Eyes covering every inch of their surroundings, she  
stopped suddenly.   
  
"What are you doing?" Gemma asked, turning around.  
  
"They're in here," she murmured, then smiled. "Thanks, George."  
  
"I'm not going to ask," Gemma remarked.  
  
Pushing the door open, they followed the sound of a familiar voice. There was Jareth, standing  
proud and tall. Kara immediately lost her temper and charged him. "Where's my father?!" she  
screamed, shoving him easily.  
  
"Kara, stop this nonsense, child." he retorted, putting his hands up to fend her off.   
  
"Kara, it's him." Jade added, her voice soft.   
  
Kara stared at him.   
  
"Do you want to see the scar where you burned me, when you blew the bog? Talk about magical  
backfire," he quirked, a stern brow rising over an amused grin.   
  
"Dad!" she squealed, rushing to embrace him. "I thought I lost you," she sniffled.   
  
"Never. I will always be with you, even in death. I have a kingdom to watch over so you don't  
run it into the ground with your fairness," he remarked seriously.   
  
"Jade, you okay?" Gemma asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Jade replied, noticing Jareth's glance but ignoring it. "Can we just get out of here  
now?"   
  
"Yes!" Gemma shouted, skipping toward the door.   
  
"Where's Selah?" Jade asked.  
  
"Leelee went to get her. She was in pretty bad shape when we got there though," Kara answered  
darkly.   
  
"She'll be fine," Jareth added. "I've taken care of it."  
  
"What did you do?" Gemma asked, peeking her head back inside the door.   
  
"Took care of my listians, Gemma dear," he retorted, as he glanced toward Jade again. "Is there  
anything I can do for you, Gemma?" he asked, turning his attention back to her. When he saw her  
eyes light up, and a wicked grin cross her face, he held up a single gloved hand. "Don't even  
think about it. I am not giving you Bale."  
  
Gemma's smile faded, but soon returned. "I was just going to ask if I could keep this stuff?" she  
mentioned.  
  
"If you like," he answered, then laughed when she squealed in delight and took off skipping down  
the hall. "You can keep the light saber," he mentioned to Jade, then continued, "It's a good thing  
I let you have it. Came in handy."  
  
"Yes it did," she answered.  
  
When they rejoined the others, shouts filled the corridors. As it quieted, Leelee frowned, her gaze  
looking across everyone there. There was something missing.   
  
"What is it Leelee?" Lies asked, the puzzlement in Leelee's face showing.   
  
"Where's Essy?" she asked.  
  
"Look, there she is," Jen pointed across the room.   
  
"What the hell is she doing?" SQ asked, thinking her eyes deceiving her.  
  
"Scratching?" Paola threw in.  
  
"You don't think. . ." Dee started, but trailed off when Essy clawed at the wall with her  
fingernails.   
  
"Has she lost her mind?" Gemma asked.  
  
A small cat wrapped itself around Leelee's feet. The pink collar gliding with it's movements. As  
soon as Leelee looked down, she laughed.   
  
"What's so funny?" Spidey asked, a curious brow rising slowly.   
  
"She's still a cat!" Leelee cackled.  
  
"Shut up apprentice and get me out of this!" Essy shouted.  
  
"Aren't you just the cutest thing, Easy?" Dawn cooed.   
  
"DCME!"   
  
"Yep, that's her alright," Amy laughed.   
  
"If she's here, then who?" Christy asked, all eyes turning to Essy's body now curling up in a  
corner.   
  
"I think she's purring," Daisy smiled.   
  
"Awe, isn't that just cute?" Allie smiled.   
  
"No!" Essy hissed. "I want my body back!"  
  
"I'd take care of you Ess. You could mingle with my kitties," SQ offered.  
  
"I am not mating with your cats," Essy shot back.   
  
"She said mingle Sith, not procreate. The world doesn't need another Essy," Leelee laughed, not  
able to control it. This was too fun.  
  
"Jareth," Jade spoke up.   
  
"I could do it," he replied, rubbing his hand against his chin.   
  
"What?" Essy asked, seeing that look in his eye. "Don't expect anything, tights. I'm not in the  
giving mood," Essy hissed.   
  
Jareth smiled. "Alright. I suppose I could help even you," he muttered.   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.   
  
"Nothing, but you must agree to one thing," he said, his arms folding across his chest.  
  
"What?" she asked wearily.  
  
"Never bring that crossbow to another one of these things. You do, and it will be permanently  
confiscated," he replied sternly.  
  
"Fine, can I please have my body back now?" she asked, scratching behind her ear with a back  
claw.  
  
"Did she say please?" Gemma gasped.  
  
Jareth cupped a hand to his ear. "What was that?" he asked.  
  
Essy growled. "You know what I said," she remarked angrily.  
  
Jareth laughed. "Very well," he replied, his hands weaving around majestically. "Get over there."  
  
Essy didn't need to be told twice. Running across the floor, she hopped up on top of her body  
and waited patiently for Jareth to do his thing.   
  
"I rather like her like this, can't we just keep her?" Kara asked, a nod in her direction. "She'd  
make a splendid addition to the Labyrinth, and I'm sure the goblins wouldn't harm her. . . much,"  
she finished.  
  
"Don't even consider it," Essy snapped.  
  
"No, Kara. I think we're safer if she's not there. She'd destroy the kingdom," Jareth muttered.   
Tossing a crystal into the air, he watched as it floated across the open space toward Essy. His  
eyes gleamed as it descended and burst right on cue.   
  
Essy sat up, her blue eyes looked around suspiciously then she noticed the cat. Pushing it lightly  
from her, she stood up and brushed the dirt from her clothing. "Where did he get these awful  
clothes?" she remarked, noticing the nasty color she detested.  
  
"Who knows, but I think that's a good color on you," Amy replied.  
  
"It's pink!" Essy shouted.   
  
"Yes, so?" Lies asked, a smirk darkening her face.   
  
"I hate pink!" Essy replied.  
  
"As if we didn't know that," Gemma laughed.   
  
"Um, Ess, I should probably tell you that while I was walking here with you. . . him. . . whoever,  
they made comment of how nicely rounded your curves were and how much fun they were  
having," Selah added casually.  
  
"What?!" she exclaimed, her blood boiling at the thought.  
  
"Easy there Ess, I'm joking," Selah laughed.   
  
Getting their things, the listians promptly left, carrying their baggage outside and waiting for  
Jareth to come back. When the last listian walked from the doors, something amazing happened.   
A shimmering light rose from the foundation, rising upward until the entire house was  
encompassed. The listians stood there, staring as the house dissipated, brick by brick until there  
was nothing left but the stone walkway.  
  
"Whoa," Jen muttered, breaking the silence.   
  
"What the-?" SQ muttered.   
  
"Where did it go?" Dee asked, her green eyes wide.  
  
"Transdimensional cross rep," Kara answered.   
  
"What?" Gemma asked, glancing at her.   
  
"The souls that held the house are gone. The energy concentrated that created their bubble, as it  
were, is gone. There isn't anything to keep it here any longer." Jade stated.   
  
"Oh? And where was I through all of this?" Selah inquired.   
  
"On a slab bleeding to death slowly," Leelee answered quickly. "Just don't mention Aztecs and  
sun gods to Jade. I don't want to hear that again," she added, shaking her head.  
  
"Okay," Selah replied.   
  
"Gemma," Jareth said softly, grasping her arm gently. "I have a question for you."  
  
"I'm not jumping your bones, Jareth," Gemma replied hastily.   
  
"Is that where your mind lingers, woman?" Jareth shot back, his eyes staring back. "I have a  
favor to ask," he said softly.   
  
Gemma noted his tone; he was serious. "What?" she asked, watching him closely.   
  
"I want you to go with Jade instead of home," he uttered, his eyes flitting across the other listians.   
"She needs someone there, at least for a little while."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gemma inquired, then remembered where they found her. "What  
happened in that room Jareth?" she questioned, a shudder involuntarily passing through her.   
  
Jareth remained silent. He wouldn't say a word and break her confidence. If she wanted anyone  
to know, she'd have to be the one to tell them.   
  
"Jareth, tell me," she insisted.   
  
"Just do what I ask, Gemma," he replied, walking back toward the others. Walking up beside  
Leelee, he shook his head. "Who wants to go first?" he asked, then took a step back. One by  
one, Jareth sent his listians home. Jareth motioned Selah over, one of the remaining four.   
  
"Wait, Jareth. . . can I ask a favor before you send me home?" she asked, a small grin crossed her  
face. "I want to go home to my mom, but. . ."  
  
"Get on with it," he sighed.   
  
"Can you just misplace my father for a few days? Please?" she asked.  
  
"Fine, but I'm not keeping him," he muttered, sending her home.   
  
"What did you do with her father?" Jade asked.   
  
"Oh, he's in an oubliette somewhere," Jareth waved his hand. "Ready, you two?" Jareth  
mentioned, looking directly at Jade and Gemma.  
  
"I guess," Jade muttered.  
  
"Yeah!" Gemma piped up. "I get to see Indiana!"   
  
"What?" Jade asked, looking at Gemma strangely.   
  
"Jade," Jareth said softly, then continued, "you need something that this time I can give you. . . a  
friend. Gemma is going to stay with you, help you through any hardship you might encounter."  
he said, then halted her interjection. "Just for once, don't argue with me?" he smiled, waving his  
hand and sending them on their way.  
  
"Back to school with you?" Jareth asked, examining a gloved hand.   
  
"No," Kara replied.   
  
Jareth turned to look at his daughter; quite the young lady she had turned out to be. He  
considered himself lucky. With a smile, he took her hand. "Why not?"  
  
"Because you need me," she replied, kissing his cheek. "Let's go home, dad."  
  
Jareth wrapped his arm around his daughter, a feeling of sincere hope flooding through him.   
Glancing at her, he could see so much of her mother in her. "Why don't you try it, Kara?" he  
asked softly.   
  
Kara smiled, raised her hands in front of her and concentrated like he showed her so many times  
before. Eyes sliding shut, the energy flow pulsed around her as they slowly disappeared from  
sight. In a matter of time and space, one thing led to another and Kara saw herself staring at her  
father's panic stricken face. "Oops?" she shrugged innocently.  
  
Jareth's eyes grew wide as the deafening music shook his body. How could she do this to him?   
Feeling a little conspicuous, Jareth tried to push his way through the crowd with no such luck.   
Turning to look at Kara, her body swaying to the music as her eyes followed every move of the  
singer, he sighed in disgust.   
  
"A Bowie concert?!" he shouted, as he watched her grin. "You planned this, didn't you?!"   
  
Kara laughed, knowing they would be there awhile. As the music set the mood, Jareth put a hand  
to his temple. He knew this listian gathering would be nothing but trouble. He didn't think he  
could handle a next time. 


End file.
